The Heartless Angel
by Aura Spirit
Summary: New creatures appear all the time. New Hunters do not. Following the appearance of a Hunter named Felix Crimson at Beacon, Remnant soon faces an entirely new threat, one that has the potential to cause untold suffering. Rated M for violence and heavily implied Ladybug. RWBY and Remnant are owned by Rooster Teeth. Felix Crimson belongs to me.
1. Mr Crimson

**Alright, no more prologues. We're straight into this fic this time. You see the M? That means things will get violent. And without further ado, we shall begin the story.**

"Shit! What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but it sounded so creepy, hissing and shit."

"Reckon it was a Taijitu?"

"Probably. Hide up here!"

"Up!? You realise Taijitu are huge, right?"

"I know! Stop panicking! Give me the merch and get up that tree. And for all that's good in Remnant, stop panicking!"

The two merchants quickly scaled the tree, quiet pneumatic discharges slinging ropes upwards to aid them. The hidden mechanisms hoisted the two men upward, concealing them in the canopy of the Emerald Forest.

"I knew this was a bad time of year to make the Vale run."

"No shit."

"Shh! I see it!"

Many feet below, a large, streamlined head broke through the shrubbery, a dark tongue divining the air, searching for its prey. The Taijitu lifted its head, sweeping slowly from side to side. Above it, the two merchants stared. One of them reached for his weapon, a large shuriken, before the other grabbed his hand, shaking his head furiously.

"It's armour's too thick. I heard that the best way to take one out is to blast something clean through its head, via the eyes."

"If I used a Dust Bomb..."

"No! You'll attract every Grimm in a five mile radius!"

The pair continued to watch as the Taijitu continued its hunt, tongue darting in an out as it did so. It reared up slightly, angling its head upwards. The merchants began to panic.

"Oh fuck, it sees us..."

"Shhh. I see someone down there."

A figure broke into the clearing, the Taijitu instantly forgetting about its meal up in the free and instead hissing at the intruder. The intruder was unfazed, his grey cloak preventing the merchants from seeing his face. The Taijitu hissed again, fangs extending as it lunged towards the cloaked man. Faster than the eye could follow, the man slid his hands into a pair of katara and swung, the vicious blades parrying the Taijitu's fangs. The Taijitu backed away, staring at the defiant intruder. Red aura erupted from the katara, and one of the blades was propelled forwards, piercing the Taijitu's eye, killing it instantly. From above, the merchants watched, wide-eyed.

"Told you the eye was the weak-"

He was cut off as a katar blade attached to a chain embedded itself in the branch on which they resided, hoisting the cloaked man into the trees. He came up to eye level, slowly considering them from behind mirrored glasses and a hood. He noticed the emblem on one of their bags.

"Mystrali merchants? Why are you making the Vale run at this time of year? You should know there's a high concentration of Grimm in the forest."

He spoke quietly, with a deep voice that almost shuddered.

"We need the money. These weapon mods aren't going to sell themselves."

"Might I ask what mods you are selling?"

"Dust discs."

"Interesting. If you'd like, I can escort the two of you to Vale. It's about two hours on foot, but once the sun goes down, you're as good as dead out here. Sorry to be so... Grim... But that's the way it is."

"Thanks, we'll take that offer. My name's Tsul. My shuriken-toting friend here is Kisaragi."

"Alright then, Tsul, Kisaragi, my name is Felix Crimson. Please, follow me."

The trio set off, Tsul and Kisaragi following Felix as he navigated them through the Emerald Forest. On occasion, the man would stop, signalling for the traders to lie flat as a creature of Grimm passed by. True to his word, by the time two hours had passed, the walls of Vale were in sight. Felix pulled a Scroll out of his pocket, sending a quick message. Moments later, a small panel, do bigger than a domestic door, slid aside, granting the trio access to the city. One elevator ride later saw Tsul and Kisaragi in the customs office, armed guards probing their bags and inspecting each Dust disc before placing it back in its respective canister. The guard raised an eyebrow at the large amount of Lien in Kisaragi's bag, but replaced it without a word and waved the pair through. Felix was waiting at the other side.

"Anything else you two need?"

Tsul nodded.

"Do you know where we can buy a plot of land? We're planning on staying a long time."

"You should look in the properties office, over in that direction."

"Thank you, Mr. Crimson."

"Please, just Felix will do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

-Beacon, the following morning-

Ruby Rose was dreaming. In her dream, she was stood under a large Willow tree, the branches swinging gently in the slight wind. The wind grasped her hood, dragging it backwards, rose petals spilling out. She was alone, or so she thought.

"Ruby..."

She felt arms fall around her, slender, but with hidden strength. She melted into the embrace, sighing quietly. She turned slowly, amber eyes meeting hers, growling larger as the owner leaned in closer...

Ruby was then rudely awoken by an incessant beeping on her Scroll. Blinking blearily, she leapt out her death trap of a bed to turn it off, the other members of her team groaning as they were dragged from the clutches of sleep.

"Morning everyone."

She was met with a chorus of grunts of acknowledgement. Ruby yawned, making her way into the room's small bathroom in order to shower, giving the WBY of RWBY time to crawl out of bed. She emerged minutes later, Yang stumbling past her as she did so. Yang was not a morning person.

Weiss had made her way into the room's kitchen, and the sound of a kettle heating up could be heard, leaving only Blake in the room. She lifted her head, the feline ears atop her head twitching as the sounds from the kitchen continued. Ruby was momentarily taken aback by how beautiful she found her, and was snapped out her temporary trance when Blake's amber eyes opened and stared at her.

"Morning, Ruby."

"M-Morning!"

Ruby blushed and looked away, furiously drying her hair as Weiss brought four mugs of coffee into the room. Yang left the bathroom, sitting down heavily and taking a mug. Weiss was next, showering in just a few minutes to allow Blake enough time to do the same. The four of them sat in silence, slowly sipping their coffee before an announcement broke the peace, Glynda's curt voice broadcast around the academy.

"Would all first year students please report to the arena in full combat gear in ten minutes."

The quartet complied, quickly changing again and removing their weapons from the various safe places in which they were hidden. They made their way through Beacon, nodding at team JNPR as they passed by. They soon reached the arena, some of the stands already full. In the pit, Glynda stood next to Professor Ozpin, the headmaster taking a sip out a mug. Team RWBY sat with Team JNPR as Glynda called for quiet. The room went silent.

"Thank you. Professor Ozpin has an announcement to make."

"Thank you Glynda. Now, you're probably all wondering why I brought you here, in full combat gear, first thing in the morning. Well, I'll get to that later. The first announcement I'd like to make is the recruitment of a new Hunter into our teaching body, Mr. Felix Crimson."

A man emerged from the arena tunnel, wearing a large grey cloak with mirrored glasses. He took his place next to Ozpin.

"Now, Mr. Crimson will be taking up position as a Combat Specialist. I would like the make clear that Crimson is a dedicated Huntsman, and is quite capable of holding his own in a fight, and not just some mercenary we've just hired."

"Thank you, Professor. As you heard, I will become you new Battlemaster, and I will explain more when I see you in your usual classes."

"The second announcement to be made is that Professor Port has successfully contained and categorised a new type of Grimm. He believes it to be the most dangerous form yet. As such, you must keep a watchful eye on any subsequent missions, as the Mimics are not to be taken lightly."

On cue, Port emerged, wheeling a large cage into the arena and removing the cover. Inside stood a perfect copy of Port. As the Mimic turned around, scanning its environment, it took the shape of Glynda, then Ozpin, then Crimson. It turned to the stands, turning into random members of the audience before Port replaced the cover before speaking.

"As you can see, the Mimic is quite capable of matching someone's physical appearance. It can mirror a host perfectly. However, it is incapable of speech. That is why it usually works with a Grimm Siren."

Port removed another cover, showing a small, winged Grimm with two legs and a single, burning eye.

"This little creature will often sit in the shadows near a Mimic, projecting the target's speech patterns. This completes the illusion. Exercise extreme caution in the future, for your greatest enemy may be yourselves."

"Thank you, Port. My final announcement today is that combat training will start immediately. Crimson, if you'd be so kind to explain."

"What will happen is that each team will come into the arena and fight me in a four-on-one fight. However, while fighting me, I will be using my Semblance to attack a seldom considered front- your mind. I cannot say for sure what you will experience in this fight, but I have seen the aftermath. Evidently, it can be quite jarring, but Ozpin and I have discussed the subject and come to the agreement that this exercise will be beneficial to all. Any questions?"

A moment of silence filled the arena.

"Very good. First team to undergo the trial will be..."

The screens around the arena showed every team name, flashing through them. The flashes slowed down, and the cycle stopped. Four letters burned across the screen.

"Team JNPR!"

The team stood up, Jaune leading them into the arena. Crimson stood there, showing little emotion from behind the mirrored glasses and shapeless grey cloak. As JNPR fell into a combat stance, Crimson smiled and raised his arm, a small disc held between his fingers.

"I am offering a prize to the student I deem the greatest performer today: one Blizzard Disc. For those of you unaware of Discs or how they function, a Disc can be applied to a Disc slot on a weapon. This augment, as the name suggests, adds an icy effect to the weapon."

Crimson lowered his arm while simultaneously extending the katara hidden up his sleeves. He slotted the Disc into the weapon, and held them up as the blades visibly cooled, mist forming around them. Ruby frowned.

"How rich is this guy, to be slinging around Discs like that? They cost more than a thousand Lien each!"

Her question fell on deaf ears, as while she had been talking, four red lines hand emerged from Crimson, connecting JNPR to him. The lines faded, and Glynda gave the signal to start the match.

Nora was the first to move, starting the match with an enthusiastic smile and a loud shout of "Smash!", Magnhild swinging in shattering arcs. Pyrrha and Ren backed her up by shooting at Crimson, while Jaune circle around to attack from behind. All the while, Crimson stood there, his katara not moving as he considered the situation. Only once Ren and Pyrrha opened fire did he move, his arms crossing to absorb the shots. They tore through the cloak and bounced off the gauntlets he was wearing. Felix scowled. He had forgotten to remove the arms of the cloak, and now they were ruined again.

As he blocked the shots from the front, he heard Jaune approaching from behind. Felix kicked backwards, his foot meeting Jaune's shield. Nora descended from above, Magnhild raised to deliver a powerful strike. Felix bring his right arm over his head, forcing Jaune to raise his shield. Felix jumped over Jaune, allowing Nora to shatter the ground where he had been and absorb a few shots from Ren, her Aura depleting slightly.

Pyrrha and Ren were joined by Nora. Pyrrha watched as Nora advanced, taking Jaune's place as Felix pushed him back. Jaune went to charge again when Felix raised a katar, a red flash radiating from the blade's tip. Jaune was suddenly paralysed, unable to bring himself to move forward. He glanced at Pyrrha and Ren, who appeared to have the same fearful expression on their faces. Only Nora seemed unaffected, continuing her onslaught of hammer blows and explosive shots. Every time she made contact, there was a similar, but smaller, red flash. Pyrrha watched as Nora's expression fell with each strike, changing from a determined grin to wide-eyed fear. She faltered, raising Magnhild, trying to bring herself to strike again.

"Had enough?"

Crimson's voice seemed to have dropped in pitch, and Nora was sure that his cloak was not as dark as it was now. Nora could not react. She backed away, shaking her head and _screaming_.

The rest of JNPR attacked in a similar fashion, only one member at a time being able to bring themselves to attack the Battlemaster. One by one, they lost their will to fight, deep fear setting in. Soon, it was Pyrrha's turn to make a move, charging forwards and throwing Akoúo. The shield spun towards Crimson, a faint red flash heralding the impact. She followed up with Miló, making impact with a red flash. In that moment, Felix changed, becoming a twisted effigy of Jaune for a scant moment. As she made more hits, Jaune's effigy became more fearful, more desperate, and she swore she could hear him whispering to her, begging her to help him and not to attack him. She saw him become more bloody with each hit.

"Pyrrha! Please! Stop attacking me! We're friends!"

Sobbing audibly as the next hit showed a version of Jaune very close to death, she backed away, sinking to her knees. A gasp rippled through the audience. No-one put Pyrrha Nikos on her knees. It just didn't happen.

Felix Crimson retracted his Katara. Nora stared fearfully at him. Ren glared, holding the broken girl against himself protectively. Pyrrha stared at the ground, unable to meet Felix's gaze. Jaune was shaking, faint gasps emanating from him.

"Enough. I will not continue. I see that this battle is over. There will be no more combat training today." He leaned down towards Jaune, Nora and Ren, the two formers recoiling and the latter baring his teeth in a growl. "Counselling will be available at any point, should you need it." He turned to the crowed who stared in stunned silence. "At this time tomorrow, Team RWBY will undergo the trial. Dismissed, enjoy the rest of your day."

The amassed students left the arena, no one daring to talk.

**There you have it, the first chapter. Let me know what you think by Reviewing; if you have an account, I will PM an answer to any questions you may have. If you're a guest, I will answer questions in the A/N at the start of each chapter. Until next time.**

**Aura, out.**


	2. Mishap

**To answer a concerned sounding question from one "****nlsnifoanifia", while I have read "Face to Face" and, in hindsight, my story does seem similar (an honest coincidence), the differences will become much clearer at the end of this chapter and the next one. Thanks for the review!**

Team JNPR's dorm was almost silent. No one spoke. No one wanted to. They were still reeling from their match with Felix Crimson.

Ren seemed the least affected. He sat very still, a thousand-yard stare burning into the middle distance. Jaune was shaking slightly, eyes still wide and darting around the room. Pyrrha just looked upset. Out of all of them, Nora was the worst affected, and she was still sobbing, rocking back and forth slightly on her bed. A plate of pancakes had gone uneaten at her side, a shocking symbol when considering her normal cheery disposition.

Pyrrha stood up and walked out of the dorm, opting to speak to the root of the problem instead of just sitting and doing nothing. The halls of Beacon were dark, since it was past hours. Classes had ended hours ago, but JNPR hadn't been to any of them. Pyrrha could still hear the voices, the screams, of the things she had seen. She shook the thoughts away, not wanting to think about it. She was soon outside the arena's main door. Directly across from it was the office of Felix Crimson. Pyrrha smiled slightly. The school worked fast, and Crimson's emblem already adorned the door, a single red wing with a frightening pair of eyes in the middle. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. Crimson's response was almost instant.

"Come in."

Pyrrha entered, pushing the door open and closing it behind her. Crimson's office was simple. A few meters away from the door sat a large desk behind which Crimson sat. Four chairs were arranged on the other side of the desk, presumably for entire teams to visit at a time. High above Crimson's head there was a platform, and Pyrrha could just see the corner of a pillow. Behind Crimson there was another door, currently closed, so Pyrrha could not see where it led. The room was sparsely decorated, with a map on one wall and a bookcase on another. Crimson's weapon sat atop the desk, and Pyrrha could now see that Crimson was cleaning the gauntlets and katara.

"Are you going to stand there all night? Please, take a seat."

Pyrrha obliged, carefully sitting down. She sighed before speaking.

"Mr. Crims-"

"Just Felix, please."

"Felix, I think I know the purpose of that lesson."

"Do tell."

Pyrrha took a deep breath before continuing.

"You were attacking our minds, as you said. But, I can't accept it as coincidence, that you force us to fight our fears when Port announced the discovery of the Mimic. You're preparing us for that.."

"Very good."

"I also think I know what your Semblance is, or does. It's fear. You use fear to alter someone's perception."

"You are a perceptive one, Ms. Nikos. Completely correct. My reason to undertake this lesson is that I feel that not many consider the mind as a vulnerable object. Why would they? We have not discovered any psychic or empathic Grimm, nor can Dust affect the mind. Let me put it this way. In a situation where I'm telling you to kill your best friend, and they're telling you to kill me, who do you trust?"

"I don't know you very well, so my friend."

"Exactly. However, what if your friend was not your friend? What if it was a Mimic with a Siren? I use my Fear Semblance to show people exactly what they do NOT want to see. I can edit it to try and get someone to run, give in or seize up. It sounds morbid, but it's very useful. May I ask a question?"

"Sure."

"What did you see?"

"I saw Jaune. He looked so scared... I knew that it wasn't him, but I couldn't bring myself to strike." Pyrrha shuddered. "How did you discover it? Your Semblance?"

Felix smiled underneath his hood.

"I was bullied. It would usually happen where the same five people would pin me against a wall every day, kick, punch and steal from me. At one point, one of them pulled a knife on me, and I couldn't take it at that point. A pushed him away, and as I did so, a red flash occurred. The other four ran away in fear. I understood that my Semblance was fear, and I could instil that fear in others. I barely used it, since I knew what fear felt like." He laid a hand on his weapons. "I soon crafted these katara, and gradually built up the gauntlets as I found the material. They are the Noli Turris, channels for my Semblance."

"Felix..."

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you bullied?"

Sighing gently, Felix spoke.

"I thought this may have been asked. Now, I ask for complete confidentiality. Nothing you have said will leave this room unless you choose to, and therefore I ask that you do the same for me."

"Of course."

"Do I have your word, Ms. Nikos?"

"You have my word."

Felix raised a hand to his hood and pulled back. As it fell off his head, Pyrrha could see two ears lying flat against his head. As the hood fell clear, they twitched and straightened up. Next, Felix went to remove his mirrored glasses. As he set them down, he opened his eyes, and Pyrrha could immediately see that they were not normal. They were red, similar to his name, and had cat-like slits for pupils.

"You're a Faunus."

"Yes. Remember that this was a time of difficulty for the Faunus. I was cursed with having two Faunus traits at a time where Faunus were despised for just being different. Even now, I still hear it. It infuriates me to hear such ignorance, such discrimination. I have heard snide comments being made about Ms. Scarlatina, and also Ms. Belladonna, many of which coming from Team CRDL and other brash individuals. Because of this, and my habit of wandering between kingdoms from time to time, I hide my Faunus traits. I consider them a curse, though they have served me well. They have saved my life from time to time."

"Hmm."

There was a brief silence.

"Ms. Nikos, I want you to know that I am not an evil man. My purpose is to teach people to consider themselves on a level they may not have thought about."

"It's fine. It's just so... Jarring, to see your fears come to life."

"I appreciate that my Semblance can be distressing."

"Hmm."

Pyrrha stood up, sliding the chair back under the desk.

"Thanks, Felix."

"It's not a problem. Remember, my office is open most of the time."

Pyrrha went to leave, reaching the door before Felix spoke again.

"Oh, and Ms. Nikos? Please give this Disc to Ms. Valkyrie. I believe she performed exceptionally, persevering even though she was severely distressed."

He threw the Disc at Pyrrha, who caught it in midair. It was cold, and had a faint blue tinge to it. She nodded before leaving wordlessly. Felix smiled, before walking over to the door and locking it. Walking back across his office, he climbed the ladder that was in front of his desk. He had to fight again tomorrow. Everyone needed rest at some point in their lives.

"Team RWBY, please make your way into the arena."

The girls shared a nervous glance at each other. They had been discussing how to tackle Crimson's trial all night. Inside the arena, there were no features of any kind. It was simply a large, flat space. Felix stood at the centre. He was wearing a large suit of armour, and Ruby reasoned that it must have been hidden beneath his cloak. He still wore a hood, however, as well as his mirrored glasses, obscuring most of his face. He smiled as Team RWBY assembled.

"Are we ready to begin?"

The girls nodded. As had happened with Team JNPR, Crimson released red beams that connected him to each team member before fading.

"Oh, and before I forget, today's best performer will receive this Bio Disc."

He slotted the Disc in question into the Nori Turris, faint flashes of green flickering on the blades. Glynda gave the signal to start the match.

Instead of waiting for the team to make the first move, Felix did, charging forward and pointing his blades at Yang. She wasn't expecting such a rapid start, and just managed to block the blades, but was sent hurtling backwards by the force of the hit. She was soon up again, watching Ruby charge, boosting her Semblance with a backwards shot from Crescent Rose. She swung, and Felix brought up the Turris in an attempt to block. What he was not expecting was for the blade to fall behind him, too far away to do damage. As he raised an arm to punch the seemingly defenceless girl, Ruby pulled the trigger, the recoil sending her scythe slamming into Felix's Aura. He staggered before recovering and flipping backwards, nodding slightly as if to say "Not bad".

"Iceflowers!"

The outburst confused Felix, but he recovered quickly as he came under fire from several high-calibre shots from Ruby, that froze as they hit the ground. He attempted to block one, only to have his shoulder joint iced up for his trouble, disabling his left arm.

"Freezerburn!"

Another shout, and he saw Weiss create a large sheet of ice on the ground, before Yang descended from above, slamming her fist into it and throwing up dense clouds of steam.

_Clever._ Felix thought. _They're covering for each other, using the mist to hide from me._

Felix saw shapes moving in the mist, and he doubled his efforts to free his arm. The ice soon cracked and he immediately came under pressure from Blake, who almost gave him a run for his money as she used her Semblance to confuse him. He soon took hold of her actual arm at one point and quickly threw her over to the rest of her team, where she landed hard.

"I must say, you ladies have put quite some effort into preparing for this, haven't you? However, it's not over yet." He pointed to the screen, where several meters showed the Aura of Team RWBY, all of which had very little missing, as well as Felix's who had roughly a third missing.

Weiss threw a new clip to Blake, and Felix saw the multi-coloured Dust cartridges in there. Weiss went to create another ice sheet, and Yang was already in mid-air. At that point, Felix activated his semblance, Yang faltering in mid-air, dropping onto the ice instead of punching it. Ruby and Blake shared a nervous glance as Weiss used a glyph to accelerate forwards, Myrtenaster poised to deliver a powerful strike. She stabbed forwards, Felix parrying the blade with one of his own. He could see Weiss beginning to falter, dark reflections of herself flashing through her mind, growing more savage over time. She soon stopped, staring at him with wide eyes and tears streaming down her face. She prepared another glyph, shakily going through the movements to place a temporal glyph at her feet. He watched her accelerate, delivering blindingly fast blows before she broke off, screaming and backing away. Blake was next, and he kicked forwards, which proved to be a mistake, as he kicked a shadow of her which then froze, sealing his foot. Now he was stuck in an awkward position, completely open to attack. Blake saw no reason to advance further, instead opting to shoot the remaining Dust rounds from a distance. Several fiery bullets bounced off his Aura before he managed to deflect one into the ice, freeing himself. He immediately charged, feinting high before delivering a sweeping kick behind him, catching Blake off guard as he correctly predicted her moves. As she went down, he went to deliver a hit, but she twisted on the ground, his blade missing its intended target and instead piercing through the bow atop her head. Felix immediately realised his terrible mistake when he felt more resistance than a piece of fabric should have, and Blake screeched in pain, the Turris having bypassed her Aura and pierced straight through one of her feline ears.

Felix stood, immediately calling the match while picking up Blake, who had passed out from a combination of shock, pain and the poison now coursing through her veins. He ran to the infirmary, kicking open the door to an empty theatre and laying her down on the table. He removed her bow and winced when he saw the wound.

"What are you-"

"Get out!"

The door quickly slammed again. It was opened again seconds after.

"Don't you understand? I'm trying to stop her from-"

"I'm her team Leader."

"Ruby Rose, was it? Now, if you truly want to help, you'll stay out of my way. Bio Discs often use Deathstalker venom. Do you know what happens when Deathstalker venom gets into the body?"

"No..."

"Good! You're too young to hear or see this. Now get out!"

Ruby was shocked. It was the first time she had seen Felix, who seemed so calm and collected, be anything other than calm and collected. She did not know how to react. Ozpin and Glynda appeared at the end of the corridor, running to the door Ruby stood by.

"They're in here."

Ozpin tried the door, but it only shook in its frame. Locked.

"Directive Four- Headmaster Override."

The door clicked open, and the pair entered, leaving Ruby alone again.

"Felix."

"What?! I'm a little busy trying to save a life."

"Did you know she was a Faunus?"

"No! And if I had known, I'd have stopped myself. Its common knowledge that Aura only protects extremities with about 60% efficiency. I was not told, and now she's paid the price."

"What was in the Bio Disc?"

"I don't know. Usually, they use Deathstalker venom. It won't kill her, but it'll prevent her from ever using her Aura or Semblance. Either leave, or help me."

Felix pressed a needle into Blake's arm, drawing out blood and squirting into a vial. He placed it into an analyser, twitching restlessly as the machine processed the contents of the blood. He wilted when he saw the results.

"Deathstalker venom, diluted, but still dangerous. If we do not act, she will lose her Aura. We have no time to lose."

**Alright, and there you have it. For the record, "Noli Turris" roughly translates to "Terror Spires". Google Translate will say differently, but then it's not very good is it? Please keep reviewing. Like I said, things will change next chapter.**

**Aura, out.**


	3. The Angel

**There are a lot of perspective changes in this chapter, mostly because I didn't want to do it as one big block of something.**

"Blake..."

A voice echoed around a featureless plain.

"Blake..."

The girl did not respond. She lay very still, appearing to be dead in the mist.

"Blake!"

Her eyes opened. She rolled and quickly stood up, hands reaching for the Gambol shroud. Her eyes widened when she realised it was not there. She turned quickly, attempting to process everything she saw around her. Except there was nothing to process, apart from an endless field of mist that seemed to grow denser the harder she looked.

Blake then realised how cold she was, since she was only in her combat gear, which was designed to be as light as possible. Without any physical activity, she felt like she may freeze. She began running, her breath echoing, the sound bouncing off unseen objects before being swallowed by the mist. She had been alone before, but this felt different. This felt like isolation. It felt like she was being hunted.

She soon stopped running, doubling over with exertion. The air was heavy, refusing to move as she breathed in. She did not know for how long she lay there, but she was soon up again, walking about the field.

"Is anyone there?"

Her voice bounced off unseen objects before dissipating. Shouting again, she tried to locate one of the objects, using her heightened hearing to locate it. The echoes got shorter, until she felt sure that she should be stood in front of a wall. But there was nothing there.

She was scared now, and she could feel blood trickling down her face from a cut straight through her ear. She felt like she should know why there was a cut, but her memory was foggy, like the landscape around her.

She waited again. She stood, sat and even tried to sleep at one point, but she always felt wide awake in this strange realm. Blake heard voices, softly calling to her, but she could not remember who owned the voices.

-Infirmary-

"Blake. Blake, can you hear me? Come back to us Blake."

Ozpin stood beside her as Crimson continued to stitch her ear. Their first task was to stop the bleeding. Deathstalkers killed by injecting an anticoagulant, causing the victims to bleed to death. On top of this, the venom prevented use of Aura, leaving the prey defenceless. Crimson was slowly pushing the needle through Blake's ear again when she gasped. Ozpin carried on calling her name. However, she had not woken up. Her breathing stabilised, and Ozpin retreated, taking a long drink from his mug.

"Felix, what can you do for her?"

"The best I can do is a transfusion. The thing is, we'd need a Dialysis machine, and a blood donor who is both a Faunus and has the same blood type as Blake. That's the best I can do. She may never wake."

Glynda glanced at Ozpin, who hung his head in his hands.

"This was a mistake I made. I know you cleared with me beforehand whether it was safe to use a Bio Disc, since we call fights when Aura levels get too low. However, as you say, Aura only protects extremities with 60% efficiency. If you had known she was a Faunus, them this could have been avoided."

"Leave it, Ozpin. There is no turning back time. We must do what we can to save her now."

-Blake-

Blake was sitting again. Time seemed to hold no meaning in this white expanse of oblivion. She had resigned herself to waiting, but waiting for what? She could not remember. She wanted to escape. But escape to where? Any motivation she had she could not justify, because she did not understand _why_. Why escape? Where's the danger? What could hurt you here? She did not know. And that _infuriated_ her.

She was snapped out her internal anger by a voice.

"Blake..."

She turned, and for the first time in however long she had been in the white space, there was someone with her. They wore a white cloak, emitting a gleam that made them hard to look at. The only way she knew something was there, was down to the two grey wings that contrasted against the white space.

"Who are you?"

"You have work to do, Blake."

"Who are you?"

"I am you, Blake. You are me. Everyone in here is everybody else. No individuality. No chaos. Order."

"Why would I want that?"

"Harmony, Blake."

"What?"

"Harmony. Faunus. Human... Harmony."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The realm darkened slightly.

"Liar, Blake. Lies are childish. Blake."

She did not like the way this... Thing... Was talking to her. She strode up to it and went to punch it square in the face. But, before her fist connected, she found she could not move. She could think perfectly well, but movement was beyond her. She couldn't remember how.

"That was a mistake, Blake."

It walked around her.

"You should respect your superiors, Blake."

It stopped beside her fist, pushing it down to her side before continuing.

"I was going to make a deal, Blake. But I may have changed my mind."

Blake was suddenly free to move, and she staggered forwards.

"Deal? What deal?"

"I could have let you go, Blake. Instead, you chose insubordination. Chaos. Individuality. Disorder. I can't accept that, Blake."

"No, please! Get me out of here!"

Blake suddenly remember fear, how it felt, and how it paralysed her.

"Let me out. Please, get me out of here!"

"You had your chance, Blake." It taunted her with a childlike lilt in its voice. "You declined, Blake."

She fell on her knees, remembering how despair and hopelessness felt. Sadness returned too, and she could feel the tears running down her face, burning her skin. It was stood over her.

"I take pity on you, Blake. You acted on impulse. I can offer second chances, Blake, all you need to do is take my hand, Blake."

She looked up, and sure enough, its arm was extended towards her, a greying hand visible in the glare.

-Infirmary-

Glynda had left a while ago to find a suitable donor. She soon returned, a horned Faunus directly behind her.

"Ozpin, we have a blood donor."

"Excellent. Felix, what now?"

"We move Blake to the Dialysis machines."

Felix carefully picked up her unconscious body, before following after Ozpin. In a separate wing of the infirmary, Blake was strapped into a chair while the donor sat in the adjacent one. Various tubes were attached, and the machine activated. The Dialysis took the blood from Blake's body, filtering it before pumping into the donor. The donor's blood went the opposite way, bypassing the Dialysis and being pumped straight into Blake's body.

-Blake-

Blake clutched her arms as several stabbing pains erupted, followed by the curious feeling of being drained on one side and pumped up on the other. The winged apparition looked at her, a faint hissing emanating from its head. The realm flickered slightly. Blake was remembering. She moved away from it, clutching her head as the flood of remembrance washed over her. She remembered her Team, Yang Ruby and Weiss. She remembered Beacon. She remembered Felix, the new teacher. And she remembered getting stabbed straight through her ear. Smiling, she realised that the realm was fading.

"This is not the end, Blake. My manifestation will take place, Blake."

With that, it surged forward, blue fire billowing out if its hand. It slapped her, the flames causing her eyes to glow blue momentarily before unconsciousness took her.

-Infirmary-

"Felix, her eyes are open."

"Excellent, Blake, can you..."

Felix trailed off when he saw her eyes. He dismissed the donor, who left without a word, before his looked closer. Instead of their normal amber, they were a pale blue, and blank. She did not appear aware of her surroundings. Felix confirmed this when she did not react when he waved his hand on front of her eyes.

"Knock her out. We may just have to wait this one out."

Glynda inserted a needle into jar, withdrawing a small amount of the liquid inside. As she went to inject Blake, her mouth opened, a steady stream of darkness emerging and coalescing in front of the chair. It grew larger, forming distinct legs and arms, the bone-like growths of the Grimm forming blades over its arms. A faceplate formed, with a single burning eye. The stream cut off abruptly and the new creature shrieked, turning and leaping out of the nearest window. Ozpin stared as it ran, before turning to Glynda.

"Get a fourth-year team after that thing. Capture it alive, if possible."

Glynda nodded and left, already paging any available Fourth-year teams. Blake had slumped over again, and Ruby stared from outside at the machine she was hooked up to, the broken window. Crimson and Ozpin saw her. She asked only one question.

"Will she be okay?"

Ozpin sighed.

"Most likely. Now it's the waiting game until she wakes up."

"Can I stay with her?"

Ozpin looked at the girl, forcing himself to remember that she was two years younger than the rest of the first years, that she was just a child.

"I see no problem with that. Felix, come on. We shall move Ms. Belladonna to where she will be more comfortable."

Ruby watched as the straps holding Blake in place were undone. The Faunus slumped forward, and Felix picked her up, and Ruby followed as they headed towards the wards of the infirmary. She sat beside the bed as Blake was laid down, Felix and Ozpin leaving to give her some privacy. Ruby couldn't hold back any long, she fell forward, leaning over Blake and wept.

-Ozpin's Office-

Ozpin and Felix watched through the eyes of an Atlesian android as the Fourth-year team hunted down the escaped Grimm. There were very distinct trails on the ground, small footprints coupled with deep, narrow holes. The Grimm ran on all fours. The team had been running after it for an hour, trailing it until it stopped. It hadn't yet, so neither did they. Escorting them were four Atlesian androids, all of which were recording the journey for future review once the Grimm had been contained. The machines were tireless, and the team were carrying never spare batteries for if the search continued for more than a few days.

Suddenly, the tracks stopped.

"Hold up. Something's wrong here. The tracks have stopped."

The eight of them stopped, scanning the surrounding area. Their search had taken them deep into Forever Fall, so it was hard to tell if something was lurking in the trees. Even without wind the leaves fell, soon covering up the tracks left by their quarry.

"Android, scan for Grimm."

The machine complied, pulses of energy washing over the trees. As it did so, a bony spike whistled out of the trees and speared straight through its head, destroying it. The remaining Androids opened up all of their sensors, searching for the Grimm. Another bone spear destroyed a second Android.

"Ozpin, this thing's stalking us. We can't see it, and neither can the androids."

Another shard was shot out of the trees, and its target blocked it before returning fire. The Grimm screeched. The sound of rustling leaves indicated that it had escaped up a tree. Moments later, a third bone spear had destroyed a third android, leaving Ozpin with only one visual link.

"Ozpin, send in the extraction Bullhead. We don't want to be caught short out here."

"It's on its way."

Ozpin watched, unable to look away as the android saw a flash of black in the trees. It took aim, its weapons spinning up. It managed to get a few shots off before a bone spear destroyed its head. Ozpin was now cut off. He could not see what was happening, only listen as the team started to panic.

"Can you see it?"

"No, shit! It got my leg!"

"Ozpin! The bone spears ignore Aura!"

"Bullhead's here!"

"I can't run!"

"Pick him up! No-one is getting left with this thing!"

Ozpin heard the sound of the Bullhead doors closing, heavy breathing and grunts of pain.

"Ozpin, this thing is basically invisible. We're gonna have a hard time taking it out. Sensors and Aura do not work on it. I don't think we got a single hit in. We need a strategy."

**For reference, I will not be naming this fourth-year team, mostly because I'm terrible at names, and there's already 3 OCs in this story already. Any more will just confuse people.**

**Aura, out.**


	4. Fabrication

**Alright, after considering a Review from nlsnifoanifia, I have re-written aspects of the first two chapters to reduce the alarming similarities between this story and "Face to Face". Hopefully things are better now. Also, thanks to nlsnifoanifia for reviewing, it means I can fix things.**

-Infirmary-

When Blake awoke, she was immediately aware of three things.

One: there was a drip in her arm.

Two: the strong smell of disinfectant and, strangely, cookies.

Three: there was a strange weight atop her chest and midsection.

She squinted as she opened her eyes, attempting to dislodge the arm that was not attached to a drip from underneath the black and red blur that was leaning across her. As her vision cleared, her eyes getting used to the light, she blushed as she saw who was on too of her. Ruby Rose was sat in a chair next to Blake's bed. At some point, she must have fallen asleep and slumped across her, and obviously she had not woken up since.

/She's so cute when she's asleep./

Looking around the ward, she could see no further than the curtain that surrounded her. On the table next to her, there were several items. There was a small bouquet of assorted white flowers, a book, the title of which she could not read from her current position, a bunch of bananas, and a fresh plate of cookies. Blake smiled, and leant forward, speaking directly into Ruby's ear.

"It must have taken amazing restraint for you not to eat those cookies."

As soon as she spoke those words, Ruby awoke with a squeal, sitting up with a blush burning across her face.

"I'm sorry! I wanted to stay here and keep watch until you woke up but it was late and I fell asleep and I would've woken up but it's early and-"

Blake silenced her by laying a finger on her lips and shushing her.

"How long have I been out?"

Ruby scratched the back of her head nervously.

"About a week..."

Blake nodded slowly.

"And you waited here all that time?"

"Yeah..."

Ruby shifted her sight to the ground, blushing again. Blake saw this, and started laughing. It started quiet, nothing more than a chuckle, before she erupted into full-blown laughter. Ruby watched, unsure how to react.

"Ruby!" Blake managed between fits of laughter. "You didn't have to wait here this whole time!"

"We tried to persuade her."

Blake looked up to see Weiss and Yang hanging around the curtain, huge smiles on their faces. They almost ran to Blake's side, embracing her one at a time.

"She wouldn't come away. At one point, we tried to carry her away when she was asleep and... Well, you can probably guess how that went." Yang turned to Ruby. "Sis, you pack one hell of a punch."

Ruby just laughed nervously.

"I didn't want her to wake up on her own, after what happened."

Weiss just rolled her eyes, gesturing to Yang that they should leave.

"Come on, Yang. We'll leave these two lovebirds to it."

Ruby protested loudly. Weiss held up a hand. "Yes, it is that obvious."

With that, the pair left, leaving a blushing Blake and a Ruby who looked as if she was ready to explode with embarrassment. She was still staring at the small opening in the curtain, so she did not notice Blake reaching over to hug her. She almost screamed as she felt Blake's arms draped across her shoulders.

"I agree. Very obvious."

As the day wore on, Blake had requested permission to move around. She had to wheel the drip everywhere with her, but she could at least leave the ward for a while.

She did, however, have to be accompanied by someone at all times. So in order to make the girl feel even more awkward, she chose Ruby to be her "minder".

While Blake was getting used to walking again, Ruby stood by, Scroll handy in case something occurred that she could not fix. At the moment, she didn't have reason to worry, as Blake was only walking around Beacon. Walking where, she was unsure of, but she was obligated to follow.

Blake was soon stood outside Felix Crimson's office. She turned to Ruby.

"Can you wait out here? Mr. Crimson is in there, so he can call the infirmary if need be."

"I think you'll find that Mr. Crimson is right here, but I understand."

The man in question approached, unlocking his office and walking inside. Blake followed. Ruby attempted to, but was stopped by Blake.

"Please, can I do this privately?"

Ruby huffed, stepping back and standing against the wall.

"Thanks."

The door closed, leaving Ruby alone.

"So, Ms. Belladonna, what did you want to talk about?"

"What happened to me?"

Felix sighed.

"As you know, each time I do a fear trial, I offer up a Dust Disc. The Disc is to be given to the match's best performer, subject to my opinion. In the first match with team JNPR, I wagered a Blizzard Disc. In your match, a Bio Disc. However, I use the wagered Disc in its respective match, so I was using the Bio Disc against you and the rest of Team RWBY. Normally, the poisons synthesised by a Bio Disc corrode the target's Aura, allowing them to be knocked out sooner. This is fine, as the Aura can regenerate afterwards. However, I was not told you were a Faunus. I know from experience that Aura only protects extremities with 60% efficiency. It's why I wear gauntlets and greaves in a fight. But, I was not aware of your feline ears and my Noli Turris passed straight through your Aura and deposited its poison straight into your bloodstream as I inadvertently skewered one of your ears.

"Now, Bio Discs often use Deathstalker venom, which contains a mix of anticoagulants and haemotoxins. The anticoagulants cause the target to bleed continuously, while the haemotoxins suppress Aura. Unlike when poison is used on an Aura, these toxins would have suppressed it permanently, and in sure you're aware of the ramifications of that scenario.

"Fortunately, we were able to get you hooked up to a Dialysis machine and also find a suitable donor to replenish your lost blood. We preserved your use of Aura." Felix stopped, taking a quick drink before continuing. "But, once Dialysis was finished, something happened to you. Your eyes became blue, and you released a new form of Grimm which almost killed a team of fourth-years. Do you have anything to add to this?"

Blake thought hard, trying to remember what had happened inside her dream.

"I remember... A featureless white space. Sound echoed as if there were solid objects in the fog. There was also an angel of some sort. That's all I can remember."

Felix nodded slowly.

"Alright. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"Not really, no."

"In that case..." Felix opened his cloak and pulled the Bio Disc out, sliding it across the desk towards Blake, who eyed it nervously.

"I believe I owe you for what happened, so you may take this Dust Disc. I cannot say who performed the greatest, since we called the match too early for a fair result."

Blake looked at the Disc, picking it up and inspecting it in her hand, before setting down on the table and sliding it across to Felix.

"I can't put anyone else through that."

"Fair enough. If you ever want to buy a Dust Disc, there is a shop in Vale run by a man named Tsul. I'm sure Ms. Rose would be quite interested. I think he had an agreement with the man who owns From Dust Till Dawn."

Blake got up and left, almost forgetting the drip before she felt it tug on her arm. As she opened the door, she saw Ruby there, a bored expression on her face. She brightened up as she saw Blake leaving.

"Better?"

"Yes, much better now that I'm up to date on things. Mr. Crimson mentioned a guy named Tsul who sells Dust Discs. He said he set up shop in From Dust Till Dawn."

Ruby's eyes widened at the statement.

"A Disc merchant! We have to go at some point. Can we? Please?"

"Ruby Rose, are you asking me out on a date?"

Ruby blushed, looking away.

"Maybe." She squeaked.

"Alright. We'll go. Just as soon as this drip is out of my arm."

-Vale-

Two days later, Blake was off her drip and was now dressed up nicely, complete with Ruby hanging of her arm.

_She is just like a kid._

They soon reached From Dust Till Dawn, a freshly-painted sign resting above the door. A small bell rung as the pair opened the door, heralding their arrival. The owner looked up from behind his glass cases, smiling warmly.

"Good morning! Can I help you?"

Blake stepped forward.

"Yes. We were looking for a man named Tsul? He sells Dust Discs?"

"He's just over there."

He pointed to the far side of the shop, where a second display case had been built. However, instead of Crystals, inside the cases were Discs, all identical in size but different in colour. Blake rang a small bell on top of the counter.

"Coming!" Was the immediate replay, and a man with a large shuriken attached to his back appeared. Flame-red hair hung over a dark suit, and thin glasses rested on his face.

"Name's Kisaragi. Tsul's out at the moment, collecting more components. What can I help you with?"

Blake spoke before Ruby could declare her intention to buy.

"We're just browsing. What do these Discs do?" She pointed to the leftmost column of Discs.

"Ah! Those are the basic Dust-Infused Skill Conduits. There are four types; Blizzard, Bio, Blaze, and Bolt. There are more advanced Discs, but those four are the basics. These basics typically cost around one thousand Lien each. Those are for weapons, while the ones at this end are for armour. As you move closer to the middle, they get more expensive." He looked at Ruby. "I can tell you're itching to buy. Why don't you-"

"Enough, Kisaragi."

"Sorry, Tsul."

Another man had entered the shop, carrying a bag of assorted metals and plastics. He handed some Lien to the shopkeeper, who handed Tsul some Dust in return.

"My name is Tsul. Kisaragi and I are traders from Mistral. We decided we needed a change of scenery, and a wider scope of customers. The shopkeeper here was kind enough to let us set up in here."

He walked behind the cases, handing the bag to Kisaragi, who immediately vanished through the door he came in through. The sound of metal on metal was soon heard.

"Kisaragi's my fabricator. He builds the panel before I infuse the Dust. The great thing about Discs is the fact that they can be removed, and the worst that'll happen if they get damaged is they'll bend or snap, no explosions or craters like you get with pure Dust or crystals. So, can I help you at all?"

Blake looked at Ruby and nodded at her. She almost felt the force of her gasp as she breathed in with excitement. Blake walked away to browse the rest of the shop while Ruby stayed in front of the counter.

"What do you have going for one thousand Lien?"

Tsul gestured to the left end of the case.

"Everything in this first column costs one thousand Lien each. They're all weapon augments. Have a look, see if there's anything you like."

Ruby leaned forward, peering into the case. She read the various labels, before straightening out.

"What about the other end of the case?"

"These are armour augments. They're more expensive, the basic ones costing fifteen hundred Lien. Also, note that we're not allowed to give youngsters any Discs, and you first-years are allowed first-tier Discs only."

Frowning slightly, Ruby looked back at the weapon augments, reading the labels before pointing to one.

"I'd like the Bolt Disc, please."

"Certainly."

Tsul pulled a glove onto his hand and removed the bright blue Disc from the case. Slipping it into a protective pouch, he knocked on the door.

"Kisaragi, Bolt Disc to be activated."

"Alright!"

Kisaragi opened the door, took the pouch and closed the door.

"While the Discs are already infused with Dust, I do not activate them until they're bought. Otherwise any skilled thief would have access to very powerful augments."

The door opened again moments later, and Kisaragi handed the Disc to Ruby, who handed over one thousand Lien in return. Ruby held the pouch with a look of awe. Kisaragi leaned over the counter, chewing a toothpick.

"D'you know how to install that?"

Ruby tilted her head.

"Install?"

"Show me the weapon."

Ruby unclipped Crescent Rose from its holder and deployed it. Kisaragi almost lost his toothpick as she did so.

"A scythe? Wow. Not seen one of these in a while. So, where's the Disc slot?"

"It doesn't have one?"

"Really? Well, I could always mill one in for you. You'd need to tell me where to put it though. For reference, the template is about this big."

He held up a small paper image. Ruby took it, and soon found a suitable place, on the blade next to the end of the haft.

"That where you want it? Alright. I'll take your weapon and..."

Kisaragi was cut off by the abrupt sound of Crescent Rose retracting. Blake called out from the other side of the shop.

"You've got no chance. Easiest thing to do is take her with you and show her how."

Kisaragi looked annoyed. Tsul remained neutral. Kisaragi looked between the three of them for a few moments.

"Alright, y'know what? Fine. Lady, you're gonna need to sign this so any damages are legally your fault before I let you anywhere near this workshop."

He almost threw a waiver at Ruby who hastily signed it before following Kisaragi out the door. The workshop was small, but packed full of strange machines. Ruby had no clue as to what they did.

"Alright, don't touch anything. I didn't have these machines flown here for fun. Tsul and I had to walk here. Alright, place your weapon here."

He pointed to a vice underneath a thin drill.

"Hey, is there any way you can remove the part to be milled? It makes my job much easier."

"Kind of."

"Eh, it's something. Do it."

Minutes later, Ruby had removed the blade of her scythe and placed it in the vice. Kisaragi tightened it before switching in the machine. Ruby watched as the vice moved closer to the drill bit, soon cutting into the metal of the blade, the groove growing deeper with each pass. Kisaragi sprayed coolant into it with each pass, ensuring that neither the drill nor Crescent Rose were damaged.

Several minutes later, Ruby was on the brink of tears. She was ready to break down before Kisaragi turned off the mill and used a paintbrush to clear away the coolant and swarf. Loosening the vice, he handed the blade back to Ruby.

"You may want to clean that up before the coolant dries. There's a sink over there, with some emery cloth and files. I'll show you how to use the buffing wheel if need be."

Ruby blinked across the workshop, immediately running the blade underneath the water to remove the coolant. Taking a file, she removed the burr from the slot, smoothing everything off and checking if the blade was still true. When she was happy, she reattached the blade and folded Crescent Rose and slipped out of the workshop. Blake was waiting in the shop.

"Finished?"

"Almost!"

Ruby took the Disc and inserted it into the slot. Electricity arced between the handle and blade, a bright blue in colour.

"Done!"

"Alright." Blake hugged Ruby. "How about lunch?"

**For those not of an engineering mind, Swarf is waste metal shards produced when cutting. Burrs are basically pieces of Swarf still attached to the piece to be worked on. Discs in this story are 50mm in diameter. Other than that, please keep an eye out for the next chapter, and review if you notice any problems. Thanks!**

**Aura, out.**


	5. Passing Time

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

**Browsing through the internet, and DAMN there's some great art out there. Unfortunately, I can't draw to save my life. Onwards!**

One week after the fourth-year team was flown in in critical condition, Ozpin had sent a message to all students, instructing them to attend a crucial assembly. He now stood before, awaiting silence as the last few teams entered and stood in their places. Beside him, Glynda raised her hand, silencing the crowd with the gesture. Ozpin spoke.

"As many of you undoubtedly saw, there was an incident during Team RWBY's spar with Mr. Crimson last week. Long story short, the end result was that a new type of Grimm was unleashed."

He gestured to the screen, the visual memory from each of the Atlesian androids displayed in split-screen for all to see. The crowed watched as the team moved through Forever Fall, gasping as one of the screens went blank, then another, then another, leaving just one android's feed. Ozpin allowed it to fill the screen, allowing it to play before pausing it, a fleck of black visible in the trees. He highlighted it.

"From what we can see, despite being quite small and sparsely armoured for a Grimm, it is quite adept at killing, and possesses a high degree of mobility. Crimson, professor Goodwitch and myself saw the Grimm before it escaped, and Goodwitch was kind enough to sketch it to the best of her ability."

The sketch in question was projected onto the screens. The students stared at it, taking in every detail from its spear-like forelimbs and extremely long hind limbs, to the single eye on its face and gaping mouth with several rows of needle-like teeth.

"We have named it the stalker, a placeholder name while we coordinate with the other kingdoms in order to research it fully. Like the name suggests, stalkers don't just charge straight into combat. As you saw on the visual feed, they will use their mobility to move around the terrain and strike from the shadows. The bone spears it fires appear quite capable of breaching a Hunter's Aura with just a few shots, and we believe that its scythe-like forelimbs make savage close-quarter weapons."

Ozpin took a moment to breathe before continuing.

"Due to this new threat, and the limited amount of knowledge we have of the Stalker, we are suspending all missions." Ozpin held up a hand to quell the shouts of protest. "You may find this objectionable, but you must realise this: a single Stalker destroyed four Atlesian androids and almost killed a team of our most skilled fourth-years, who are currently recovering in the infirmary. We cannot allow you to go into the field with such a large threat running rampant. The risk is too great. So please, continue with your training. You're free to go into Vale, but missions will not be announced for some time. Thank you."

Ozpin, Glynda and Crimson left the lectern, leaving the hall full of students to voice their disapproval. Out of Team RWBY, their leader was first to speak.

"That's not fair! There's only one Stalker, and surely we can just run from it."

Ruby's rant was cut short by Weiss.

"Well, he has a point though. If a team of fourth-years was almost killed, what can we do? I know I have my glyphs, but in the time it takes to cast one, it could kill me."

"Weiss is right. We can't hope to take it on until we know more about it." Blake laid a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "It'll be fine. Look at the bright side. Next week would have been missions, but now we get the week off."

"I guess we could just spar to pass the time. At least that keeps us sharp." Yang suggested.

Ruby turned on Yang.

"We all have a free slot now. Yang, I challenge you to a battle!"

Yang gave a leering smile in return.

"You were never able to beat me. I'll take you up on it. Could be fun."

-Arena-

The two sisters stood apart from each other, staring at each other, waiting for the signal to start. It had been decided that Weiss would moderate the match.

"Look sis, I know you want Blake to moderate, but that could lead to bias, if you know what I mean."

Ruby had begrudgingly agreed. So now they stood in the pit, their Aura visible on-screen and Weiss at the side lines. She raised Myrtenaster. Ruby and Yang tensed up. The blade fell through the air. The girls raised their weapons.

_Ding._

Weiss blade struck the bell, and the battle began.

Ruby opened by firing Crescent Rose behind her, building up the speed to deliver quick strike without coming into range of Yang's fists. Her plans were thwarted when Yang fired a single flare straight into her flight path. Thinking fast, Ruby shot straight down, propelling herself skyward, before bringing the scythe down in a crushing blow. Yang brought up the Ember Celica, attempting to block. Yang was nastily surprised when she felt electricity conduct straight through the gauntlets and into her arms, causing her to spasm. Her guard dropped, and Ruby used the break to bring Crescent Rose around and deliver a shot at point-blank range into Yang's chest. The two were propelled apart, one by recoil and the other by a bullet. Yang pulled herself to her feet, her words stuttering slightly as a result of the electricity coursing through her.

"T-to think that m-my own sist-t-ter would use a b-Bolt Disc on me. Positively sh-shocking."

Yang heard the booing from both Blake and Yang.

"You speed'll only get you so far. This fight is far from over."

Yang charged, feinting high at Ruby's head before ducking down to deliver a low punch. She was shocked again when Ruby _blocked_, and a third time as she felt the blade of Crescent Rose strike her leg, delivering another charge. Yang fell down and was kicked across the room.

"When did you g-get this good-d, sis?"

"I have my ways."

Yang got up, and Ruby saw Yang's eyes burning red. Ruby gulped. She hadn't finished the fight fast enough, and now Yang was powering up. Yang charged, hair smouldering and delivered a direct and very hard punch to Ruby's side, staggering her. Ruby attempted to block the next hit, but was disarmed by a quick twist from Yang and thrown skyward. Yang followed up by propelling herself above Ruby, raining down punches on the defenceless girl before delivering a final, deciding hit. She watched with a small sense of guilt as Ruby plummeted to the ground, to her assured defeat. One gravity-induced thud later, Ruby's aura dropped into the red and Weiss called the fight.

"The winner is Yang! Tough luck, Ruby."

Yang landed next to her sister's beaten body.

"Sorry sis, you're very predictable. Look at the bright side, you actually got close to beating me there."

She pointed to the screen and Ruby followed her finger, eyes widening when she saw that Yang's aura was hovering just beyond the red threshold.

"That has got to be one of the fastest first-year matches I've ever seen."

The whole team looked towards the tunnel, and Felix emerged. He was not wearing his hood, and the team saw the feline ears on top of his head. Weiss frowned slightly, a hint of venom in her voice.

"I didn't know you were a Faunus, Mr. Crimson."

"Not many do."

He walked into the centre of the arena and turned to face Weiss.

"So how about it, Ms. Schnee? Blake's in no condition to fight yet, and these two..." He pointed to Ruby and Yang, the latter almost carrying the former of the arena. "...have just finished. Think you can take me? Don't worry, I'll not be using my Semblance this time."

Weiss scowled before making up her mind.

"Fine. I'll spar with you."

Felix smiled.

"Excellent. Blake, If you'd be so kind as to moderate..."

"Sure."

"Then we'll get started. Prepare yourself, Ms. Schnee."

The Noli Turris extended from Crimson's cloak, and he took on an offensive stance. Weiss stood in a fencer's pose, ready for anything.

"One more thing, Ms. Schnee. The ears are a no-go. You saw what happened to Blake."

"I'm not using any Bio Discs, Mr. Crimson."

"That's beside the point. Aura is not 100% efficient, so stay away from the ears."

Blake raised the Gambol Shroud, and the two combatants tensed up.

_Ding._

Weiss moved instantly, gliding across the battlefield, poised to strike at Crimson's heart. As she grew close, he moved, parrying Myrtenaster aside before striking back. Weiss recovered quickly, dodging the stab and parrying the next. She flipped backwards, granting herself some space and also time to cast a glyph, boosting herself into the air and attacking from above. She struck, scoring a direct hit before Felix scored one on her, staggering her slightly. Felix pressed ahead, allowing Weiss no time to counter. She resorted to redirecting his strikes and weaving through them, much to Felix's annoyance.

_She's more athletic than people give her credit for._

She ducked under another swipe and parried a downward cut, using Myrtenaster to knock the katar away. She immediately stepped forward, thrusting again and delivering another direct hit, using a glyph to amplify the power. Felix flipped backwards, attempting to give himself some space but was immediately attacked again.

_Bloody hell, she's merciless._

Felix forced her away, attempting to collect himself before a glyph exploded beneath his feet, launching him into the air. Weiss cast another glyph beneath her feet, using it to boost up to his level before thrusting again. Felix blocked, grabbed her arm and threw her downwards. She recovered quickly, composing herself to cast a temporal glyph. Felix saw this, and fired one of his blades at her to break her concentration, nullifying the glyph before it could be used. It hit her directly, causing her to flinch, leaving her defenceless as he landed and charged at her. She feinted left before ducking down and swinging Myrtenaster in an upward arc, scoring another hit on Felix. He staggered backwards, faint red energy appearing on the Noli Turris.

"I must say, you are quite skilled. Unfortunately..." He held up the katara, allowing Weiss to see the flickering energy. ..."when Aura depletes somewhat, my Semblance activate automatically. You sure you want to continue?"

Weiss nodded, readying Myrtenaster again.

"You asked for it."

Spinning and stomping the ground, Felix fully activated his Semblance, torrents of energy flashing on his blades. Weiss swallowed nervously. She could already hear whispering, her inner doubt, clawing at her resolve, testing her. She charged, rapidly casting four glyphs. She bounced off each one, attempting to attack Felix with each pass. He parried the first three passes, but the fourth found its mark, and Felix recoiled, swiping upwards as Weiss passed. She felt the blade grind against her Aura for the length of her body, feeling her energy draining away. She also felt the fear; it was much more pronounced with direct exposure, not like the flashes she got when she attacked.

She broke off, scanning the room she found herself in. It looked like her old bedroom, back in Atlas. Something felt off. The posters were gone, the window did not show the view she grew up with, but a white void. Then the door was kicked open, her father standing there, a bloody knife in his hands.

"Weiss, you stupid girl. Come here!"

He charged, and the illusion faded, but the scars had been reopened. Weiss backed away, falling backwards and dropping her sword. She hit the back of the arena, holding up her hands to fend off the incoming strike. It never came.

Instead, she opened her eyes to see Felix extending a hand towards her.

"Are you okay?"

Weiss didn't answer. She couldn't. She was too scared. Felix saw this and stepped away, allowing her room to move. Yang had managed to jump the stands, landing and slowly approaching.

"Hey, you alright? Come on Weiss, you're fine. We're here for you. Come on, let's get you up."

Yang helped the girl to her feet, leading her into the tunnel. They soon reappeared in the stands.

"Alright. Blake, do you feel up to a fight?"

Felix waited for a response. When non came, he asked again.

"Blake? Do you feel well enough?"

No response.

"...Blake?"

_Something's wrong._

"Her eyes are blue."

"What?"

Felix ran to the wall and pulled himself over. He scrambled over to where Blake was sat. True to Ruby's words, her eyes were a pallid blue.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's... I don't know how to explain it. When she was poisoned, she said she saw something. Her eyes were blue then."

"Felix, what did she see?"

"She said she saw an angel."

-White Space-

Blake opened her eyes.

_Oh, hell no._

She was in that damnable white space where she forgot things. There was also the case of the "angel" in with her.

"You cannot escape me, Blake."

She turned, and there it stood. Her "angel".

"I will not be denied, Blake."

The angel seemed less resplendent. It was not glowing as much as it had before, as Blake could actually look at it. She could see an outline of a face, and the wings were no longer pure white. Instead, they were a mottled grey.

"You are mine, Blake."

The angel moved, making an attempt to grab Blake's head. She stepped backwards, casually avoiding the attempt. She blinked, and suddenly the angel wasn't there. It was instead behind her, pale fire streaming from its outstretched hand. It grasped her, and he head exploded with pain. She watched with horror as the angel's face became visible, revealing the terrifying visage of a dead man walking. As suddenly as it had appeared, it disappeared, leaving her to fall to the ground, clutching her head in pain. She could hear voices in the mist, maddening voices that called to her, taunting her to seek the source. She could feel her temper rising. She tried to convince herself that the voices, no, this whole world was not real, but every time she closed her eyes, the voices became clear, causing her eyes to snap open again. Every time she did so, the voices lapsed into obscurity. Blake felt as if she was about to go insane. Then... She recognised one of the voices.

"Blake? Can you hear me? Blake? Please Blake..."

She didn't know why she singled out that voice in particular, or why the sound of it brought the smell of roses to her mind. She focused on it, seeking it out.

The other voices grew in response, threatening to drown out the nice voice. As it grew louder, she saw hands appearing from the mist, reaching towards her. With a renewed sense of urgency, she sought out the voice, following it with great concentration. She ignored the others, she ignored the hands. All that mattered to her was this one voice.

"Please Blake, come back to me..."

It was close. She could hear it very clearly now. The mist was fading, along with the hands. Two silver eyes were growing in the vision, followed by the rest of a face, a girl's face. Others soon joined it, two more, and a man. With a flash of clarity, the illusion vanished. She was sat in the stands inside Beacon's arena. She couldn't breathe, and her eyes were dry. Blinking rapidly, she cleared her vision and retched violently, trying to pull as much air as possible into her lungs. Ruby was stood in front of her, on the brink of tears.

"Blake? Are you there?"

"Y-yes."

Opting not to say anything else, Ruby embraced Blake in a crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

Blake could feel tears soaking through to her shoulder. She looked at Felix.

"I saw it again."

"Do you know what it is?"

"Whatever it is, it's not an angel. No angel has a dead man's face."

"What does it want?"

"I... I don't know."

Felix sighed, looking away.

"There is... Something else too, Blake."

"What is it?"

Ruby ended her hug, and opened the blade of Crescent Rose. She held it up to Blake's face, the flat facing her. Blake looked at her reflection, drawing in a shaky breath when she realised what was wrong.

Her left eye had turned blue.

"It looks like... It wants me."

**Aaaaand cliffhanger. Sorry guys. I don't like being mean to Blake. She's such an awesome character… Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing, as I can fix things with reviews.**

**Aura, out.**


	6. Date

**Yikes, probably should have mentioned that this story takes place after the events of "Breach". Also, this chapter is approximately 90% Ladybug, because the story needs some fluff. Onward!**

"It looks like... It wants me."

Those words had shattered the world of Ruby, the younger girl having no idea how to react to the prospect that Blake may not be herself for much longer, that the quiet bookworm that she had come to love may cease to exist. Her single blue eye paid testament to the theory, a clear sign that something unnatural was happening to Blake Belladonna.

Ruby couldn't put it into words. She just cried, dropping Crescent Rose and collapsing into Blake who hastily embraced her to stop her from falling. Yang watched the scene with pity. She turned to Felix.

"Any ideas?"

Felix sighed.

"The best I can do is offer to have a contact lens made to disguise her blue eye. Other than that? I have no idea how to approach this situation."

Yang found it strange to see Felix worried. The man was usually so collected, on top of any situation thrown at him. It was odd to see him vexed; his face seemed unused to the expression it was holding, several muscles twitching sporadically.

"I think, for the moment, that she should be taken to the infirmary, where an expert can take a look at her. Medical is not my field of expertise."

He walked over to Ruby, attempting to pull the distraught girl away. She mewled in protest, clinging to Blake, who had resigned to sobbing into the younger girl's shoulder.

"Ruby."

She raised her head, silver eyes boring into Blake's mismatched eyes.

"Please, I need help. Let me go to the infirmary."

Ruby slowly straightened up, allowing Blake to stand. She followed Felix, sweeping her hair to cover her mismatched eye and keeping her head low. Having to cross Beacon while trying not to draw attention to herself was difficult despite the stealth training she had received in the White Fang. After a long and nerve-wracking walk, having almost been discovered by Nora, they reached the infirmary, and Blake was able to readjust her hair. Felix ushered her into an exam room, where she was soon joined by Glynda. She created a rune circle on the ground.

"Step into the circle."

Blake complied, each individual ring moving up and down her body in succession. Glynda's expression remained neutral. Blake noticed her eyes widen slightly as the exam continued. The circle soon faded.

"Well, this is certainly a rare case that I have not seen in a while."

"What is it, professor?"

She pushed up her glasses.

"It appears that something is attempting to possess you."

Blake found the silence almost deafening. She swallowed nervously, digesting the new information.

"What can be done about it?"

"Until we know more about the entity trying to possess you, nothing. Think. Do you have any idea what could be trying to take control?"

"An angel, well, at least it used to look like one. It looks more like a corpse."

"An angel that looks like a corpse... I will have to talk to the lorekeepers. I'm sure that this sort of entity has not been documented in recent history." She sighed. "It could take some time, Blake."

"How will I know when it tries to take over?"

"According to reports, victims can end up disoriented randomly. They may start sleepwalking or exhibit behavioural tics that they did not have prior to possession. You may end up hearing voices, or, as it progresses, hallucinate. Soon, it would take full control and the victim would cease to exist."

"Can I fight it?"

"No without the proper mental training. Ms. Belladonna, you must realise that the being trying to possess you may be impossibly old. With that age comes expertise. In your current state, I doubt it would have much of an issue taking control when it wanted to. I can only help you hide the visible traits."

Glynda opened one of the cupboards in the room, pulling out a small container. A contact lens rested inside. She handed the container to Blake.

"Insert this, please."

Blake opened the container, taking the lens and carefully placed it on her blue eye. A ring formed around Glynda's hand, a similar circle forming on the contact lens. The witch rotated her hand, the colour of the circle changing as she did so, soon matching the normal colour of Blake's eye.

"That should hide your eye indefinitely, just remember to take it out every night, or the Dust in it could blind you."

"Thank you, professor."

Blake went to leave the room, but was stopped by Glynda.

"Blake. You greatest weapon against this threat is other people, especially your team. Have them look out for you. They know the real you. They're there for you."

Blake nodded before leaving. As she opened the door, another nurse stepped forward.

"Ms. Belladonna, would you mind if we kept you for inspection for the night?"

The Faunus shot a pleading look at Glynda, who merely raised an eyebrow. Blake resigned herself to the nurse, sending a rapid message to her team, telling them that she was alright, and that she was staying in the infirmary. An hour later, the RWY of RWBY were gathered around Blake, who was hooked up to several machines. They offered words of support, bringing her a selection of books from the shelves. The day drew to a close, and the healthy majority of the team left, leaving Blake alone in the infirmary. She remained awake for a few minutes, listening to the background noise, the occasional grunt of pain or beep of machine. She soon fell asleep, a frown etched into her face as she considered what could happen to her.

"Wakey wakey Blakey!"

Blake was snapped out of her dreamless sleep by the high voice of Ruby. It took her a moment to register the pet name she had been given.

"Please don't call me that..."

"Why? Come on, it's cute!" Ruby went to continue, but faltered after a glare from Blake. "We were planning on going into Vale later. We were wondering if you wanted to come along."

"No, I think I'll stay here and catch up on some work. I was unconscious for a week."

She looked up, seeing Ruby's bottom lip begin to quiver. Realising what was about to happen, Blake looked away so that she did not fall victim to Ruby's infamous pout.

"C'mon, Blakey! It'll be fun!"

Without thinking, Ruby started stroking Blake's ears, failing to notice the girl stiffen or the blush slowly creeping up her face. She carried on making an argument, before she became aware of just what sort of noise Blake was making.

She was _purring_.

Ruby attempted to keep a straight face, but failed spectacularly. She collapsed on top of Blake, paralysed by gales of laughter.

"That... Is so cute!"

Blake's face burned. She could see some of the other patients looking over at her. She gave them an apologetic gaze before turning her attention to the girl above her.

"Ruby, please, there are other people in here."

"But... But... You were purring!"

"Please don't announce that to the world."

Ruby eventually managed to control herself, stifling her laughter before attempting to persuade Blake again. The Faunus refused again.

"Ruby, I'm here because something is trying to possess me. I don't want to put other people in..." She trailed off when Ruby presented three small pieces of paper. The first was a voucher for her favourite book store. The other two were tickets for the cinema. Blake raised an eyebrow.

"You're trying to bribe me to come with you."

"Yep."

"The others aren't coming, are they?"

"Nope."

"Ruby, is this a date?"

"Maybe..."

Blake reached up, reading the name of the film on the tickets and raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't have you down as a fan of horror, Ruby."

"It's fine, I'll have you to protect me. If you want to come that is. Are you?"

Blake smiled widely.

"Of course I am! Just give me a few minutes to sign out."

-Vale-

"So, when did you buy this voucher? And why?"

"I bought it when Felix took you to the infirmary. I thought that since I dragged you into a weapon mod shop, it's only fair that you get to drag me around a book shop."

"How much was the voucher?"

"Not a lot."

Blake arched an eyebrow, and Ruby sagged as they walked.

"250 Lien..."

"You didn't have to!"

"But I wanted to! You will use it, won't you?"

"I can't accept..." Blake trailed off when she looked at Ruby, who had decided to use her pout in order to persuade Blake. She tried to look away, but found she could not. "You fiend."

Ruby giggled, almost pushing Blake into the book shop. While Blake dragged a finger over the spines of the various times for sale, Ruby retired to the comic book section. Some time later, the pair were back outside, several thick books in a bag carried by Blake.

"Sooooo, what did you buy?"

"Just some books."

"No, really? Which books?"

At this, a blush erupted across Blake's face, exceedingly obvious to the younger girl.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask."

The pair continued their walk. Since the film was at seven o'clock, they had several hours spare. Ruby had opted to lead Blake around town, when they came upon From Dust Till Dawn, where they found a peculiar scene.

The front window was shattered, glass shards littering the street. Inside the shop seemed unharmed, save for a crack in one of the display cases. That was not the strangest thing, however, for hanging by their legs from the ceiling were four White Fang zealots who looked ready to explode. They were all clearly irate, looks of fury directed at Kisaragi, who stood below them, a wide grin on his face, chewing his omnipresent toothpick. Outside, two police officers looked upon the scene with a look of mixed confusion at mirth. Tsul and the shopkeeper were busy talking to them. Ruby and Blake approached.

"What happened here?"

Tsul turned and looked at the pair.

"Ah, good day, Ruby. Basically, this shop was targeted for a robbery last night. Unfortunately for that sorry bunch," he jerked a finger to the White Fang cell. "They got more than they bargained for when they ran into Kisaragi. The man never sleeps and is quite the fighter. And, well. You can figure out the rest."

-The Previous Night-

"Talon 1, in position."

"Talons 2 and 3, in position."

"Talon 4, entering target building now."

The White Fang zealot picked the lock, the door swinging open. As he did so, Talons 1 killed the power to the building, stopping the alarm from going off. Talons 2 and 3 watched from across the street, a sniper rifle trained on the window.

"Clear."

Talon 4 was joined by Talon 1, the woman casually walking around the side of the building carrying a large case in each hand and entering the shop. 2 and 3 maintained their lookout.

"They have Discs in here."

"Take 'em too."

A faint crack was heard as one of the zealots swung a hammer at one of the cases. At that point, the workshop door opened, and Kisaragi walked into the shop, Chakram in hand. The two zealots ducked out of sight, hiding behind the crystal cases. Talon 2 took aim at Kisaragi, gently squeezing the trigger. The suppressed rifle bucked in her hands, the bullet whistling through the air and shattering the window. That gave Kisaragi all the time he needed, raising Flux to block the bullet. Flux spun through the shattered window, striking Talon 2 on her faceplate, leaving a deep groove. 2 and 3 moved, leaping from the window and landing, brandishing swords and closing in on Kisaragi, to whom Flux had returned. The young man stood there, badmouthing the Talons.

"What's the matter? Can't take me fairly?"

1 and 4 circled around, 1 raising a pistol to shoot Kisaragi. She blinked, and he was no longer there; instead, he was behind 4, slowly choking him into unconsciousness. Before 1 could aim and shoot, Kisaragi was behind him, his foot slamming her hand against the cabinet, forcing her to drop the gun. He felt his hands around his neck before oblivion took him.

During the time Kisaragi had been incapacitating 1 and 4, 2 and 3 had reached the door. 2 advanced, lifting her sword to deliver a lethal blow. Kisaragi had blocked quicker than she could follow, before she felt a fist slam into her nose, and unconsciousness took her. Only Talon 3 remained, and he feinted, drawing Kisaragi's attack before attacking, delivering a thin cut to the young man's side. 3 attempted to follow up, but Kisaragi advanced incredibly quickly, delivering many cuts in a fraction of a second. The zealot could not keep up, his Aura quickly depleting before he felt the Chakram bite into his flesh, tearing through his clothes. He fell over, writhing in pain. Kisaragi delivered one final kick to the zealot's head, knocking him out cold. Kisaragi observed the scene for a moment, before locating several lengths of rope and getting to work.

-Present-

The fabricator could be heard laughing as one of the cell members managed to untie the knots binding him. He crashed to the floor, yelping in pain as he landed face first. Kisaragi placed a foot on his back, holding him down while summoning one of the officers, who cuffed the zealot.

"Maybe next time you'll take gravity into consideration, eh?"

As the officer hauled the zealot away, Blake saw several large gashes in the man's clothes, most of which were crusted with blood. Tsul followed her gaze and began to explain.

"Ah, yes. Now, Kisaragi can be a little... Excessive. It's because of his Semblance. Long story short, he has to be incredibly careful how much force he applies, or he could end up bisecting someone. I keep telling him that he made Flux too sharp, but he won't listen, telling me that he can handle it. Sometimes, I don't know how he can wield that thing without cutting himself."

Tsul pointed to the large chakram on Kisaragi's back. Blake's enhanced vision could make out many tiny blades along its circumference, most of which were bloody.

"Anyway, for obvious reasons, we're not open today." Tsul gestured to the cell again, watching as Kisaragi threw Flux at one of the zealot's rope, the zealot falling to the floor to be cuffed. "One of us has to stay here while the other gives a statement. Kisaragi isn't the best salesman, and would neglect the shop to stay in his workshop. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's okay. Ruby wasn't looking to buy anything today. I can come back another day, however."

Tsul nodded.

"I look forward to it."

Two more thuds later, and the cell was locked in the back of a police van, Tsul getting in the front. Kisaragi remained in the shop, taking the measurements of the window frame while the shopkeeper emerged from a store cupboard with a brush, starting to sweep at the floor, pushing the shards of glass to the side. Kisaragi looked towards Ruby and Blake.

"Hey, if either of you are looking to make some money, I need to make a load of bars to secure this window. Nothing too difficult, just some casting."

"Sure, we'll help."

Blake shot a glare at Ruby, who just shrugged and walked into the shop.

"Excellent. Now, since you've already signed that thing, you're gonna help me with the manufacturing." Kisaragi pointed at Blake. "You're gonna need to clear the glass from the frame. We'll soon have bars to bolt, so sit tight till then."

Blake rolled her eyes. Kisaragi ducked into his workshop and emerged with a scraper and some sandpaper. He threw to tools to Blake, who deftly caught them.

"You're fast. Come on, quicker this is done, quicker you get your Lien and get to go home."

Blake knelt down in front of the window, scraping at the shards until they came loose. One hour later, she had removed the worst of it, and was sanding away at the wooden frame. Kisaragi emerged, carrying a nailgun and steel bar.

"Here's the first bar. It's not been tempered, but it looks the part. Others are on the way. Just bolt this one here and here, straight through the holes in the metal."

Blake complied, taking the nailgun and waiting for Kisaragi to hold the bar in place. She jumped as she pulled the trigger, the loud snap of gun discharging assaulting her sensitive ears. She hoped Kisaragi hadn't seen them twitch underneath her bow. The hours passed by, Kisaragi carting out bar after bar, building up a barrier across the window. Ruby emerged with the final bar, holding it in place as Blake bolted it in place. Kisaragi inspected their handiwork.

"Not too shabby, kiddos. That should hold until the owner can get a new window." He pulled out two thousand Lien from his pocket, handing half to each girl. "As promised, your pay. Lotta hard work, lotta cash in return. Go get cleaned up."

The pair walked out of the shop. Blake went to hug Ruby, recoiling when she got into smelling distance.

"You, Ruby Rose, need a shower. You stink of steel."

"Speak for yourself, you're covered in sawdust."

The pair inspected each other, then themselves, before breaking down laughing. The moment was ruined when Blake opened her scroll to check the time.

"Dust! It's five! We have to be at the cinema in two hours!"

"You make it sound like such a big deal."

"It is a big deal! What are you-"

Ruby had taken hold of Blake, visibly straining with effort. Blake had just enough time to lean forward before the pair accelerated, getting over halfway to Beacon before the younger girl slowed, doubling over with exertion.

"Your stamina's improved. Where did you manage to do that?"

Ruby managed to speak between gasps.

"Yang... Forced me to... Run on a treadmill... Until I keeled over..."

"The fiend. Come on, we need to move if we want to be back here on time."

They made it just in time for the film to start. It played out exactly how Blake had expected- Ruby had screamed whenever there was a jump scare, burying her head in Blake's shoulder, taking peeks at the screen before quickly turning away. She almost felt sorry for her. _Almost_. Truth be told, Blake enjoyed the feeling she got when comforting the smaller girl. She realised that Yang often sported a contented expression when comforting Ruby. Blake also realised that Ruby must see Yang as some sort of mother-figure, since Yang had raised Ruby mostly by herself. It brought a smile to Blake's face to think that Ruby saw her as almost like a sister.

Soon enough, the credits were rolling, the silver-eyed girl carefully peering over Blake's shoulder. Blake smiled.

"Come on, you. Let's get you back."

Blake stood up, allowing the chair to fold back. She was stopped by a deceptively strong hold, Ruby pulling her back down and kissing her. Blake was taken aback- she had never expected her to be so bold. She blushed profusely, lifting Ruby bridal-style. She squealed quietly, the noise muffled by the kiss. As quickly as it had started, she had stopped, leaping out of Blake's arms and dragging her out of the cinema. Blake felt something inside her recoil. The angel was jealous.

_You feel that? You never will, you filthy demon. You will not take her from me._

She felt a painful twinge in the side of her head, the angel retaliating to her boast. It seemed to let her have her small victory, opting not to attack her any further. The pair exited the cinema, navigating the now-dark streets, making their way back to Beacon. They passed From Dust Till Dawn, catching a glimpse of Tsul closing the shutters. It appeared they were closing early tonight.

The couple soon reached the well-lit campus, checking themselves in with the guard on duty before heading straight for their dorm. The pair separated for the first time that night, Blake locking the bathroom door in order to get changed as quietly as possible. Weiss and Yang were already in the room, the latter snoring loudly. Ruby changed quickly before climbing up onto her bed. She waited for Blake to emerge. Amber eyes glinted in the darkness, signalling her exit from the bathroom.

"Blake?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Will you stay up here tonight?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Blake was then lifted up onto Ruby's bed, where the younger girl wrapped her arms around Blake, making it clear that she wanted her to stay exactly where she was.

"Alright then."

Ruby nuzzled Blake's shoulder, and the Faunus soon heard her breathing become regular and quiet. Blake soon followed suit, the realm of sleep taking her. But she could never truly sleep, for when she tried, it was always watching with piercing blue eyes. She panicked and woke, her eyes scanning the room for the angel's terrible gaze. She calmed down slightly when she came to the conclusion that it was not in the room. She surrendered to sleep again, backing into Ruby's embrace.

**Hooray for a longer chapter! Expect production to slow, due to me taking part in a Gang Show and other life stuff. Other than that, please keep reviewing, I can fix things when you do.**

**Aura, out.**


	7. Lore

**Hooray for a 3k+ chapter! I find it so hard to write sometimes. Onwards!**

Light streamed in from the small gap between the curtains, casting a beam of light across Yang's eyes. She awoke, lifting an arm to shield her eyes from the glare. She sat up, yawning as she shook off the last vestiges of sleep, looking around the room. Weiss was still asleep, snoring quietly. Yang would wake her later. A single arm was visible, hanging over the edge of Ruby's bed. Yang frowned. Ruby didn't wear black nail varnish. Standing up as quietly as she could, she picked up her scroll and crept over to her sister's bed. There, she found that the arm belonged to Blake, and the pair were cuddling together, still sound asleep. Stifling her giggles with a hand, she snapped a few photos before hastily dressing and leaving the room. She returned ten minutes later, sliding the photos into a black envelop and leaving it on Ruby's designated desk space. She wrote a small note and placed it on top of it before picking up Ember Celica and leaving the room again.

One hour later, at twenty past eight, Ruby's alarm went off, rousing the remaining three team members. Weiss almost fell out of bed, slamming a hand on the scroll to turn it off before gathering her clothes and trudging off to the bathroom to have a shower. Blake watched her go with one eye, opting to keep her blue eye shut until she put her lens back in. She disentangled herself from Ruby's embrace, the small girl moaning as she did so, making a grab for Blake.

"Nooooo, don't leave me pillow..."

Blake pulled away, jumping and landing on the floor, stretching slowly. She waited outside the bathroom for Weiss to emerge.

Ruby eventually mustered the energy to get out of bed, landing with a thud and wiping her eyes. She scanned her desk, noticing the note with Yang's scrawl on it.

_Morning! I got up early to go to the gym before class. See you soon!_

_P.S- You know what this is, Ruby._

Ruby lifted the note, gasping when she saw the black envelope underneath.

"Oh no."

"What is it, Ruby?"

She held up the envelope so Blake could see it.

"Since Yang makes puns, what do you think this is?"

Blake thought for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Blackmail?"

"Yup."

Ruby tentatively opened the envelope, lifting out the photos inside and blushing brightly. Blake sidled up to her, slowly taking in the nature of the photos.

"Well, they seem incriminating."

Blake moved away, walking into the bathroom as Weiss walked out. Ruby quickly dropped the photos into the envelope and hid it in her desk. Weiss did not need to know.

Minutes later, Blake emerged, and Ruby took her shower. Soon, the three girls were ready for the day ahead of them. Their first port of call- Yang.

-Gym, One Hour Ago-

After dropping off the blackmail, and ensuring she had a copy for herself, Yang had headed straight for the gym where she wanted to practice her technique. Even when using Ember Celica, she ran the risk of shattering every bone in her hand with each punch. The Celica merely reduced the chance of that happening by making sure that her fist was not the first thing that hit a target.

She reached the gym, warming on some of the machines with some lifting, before taking a short run on one of the treadmills. She then took out her Scroll and granted herself access to the Simul. The Simul was a relatively recent addition to Beacon, requiring registration and subscription to use. It utilised swarms of tiny robots to allow students to generate specific numbers of enemy 'shadows' to fight against, providing some semblance of reality. She entered the glass room, walking up to the glowing control panel. Quickly selecting Beowolves and setting the counter to twenty, she stood in the centre ring while the simulation started. Black particles coalesced into the shape of a Beowolf, and Yang got to work. She fired behind her, boosting herself elbow-first into the Beowolf's jaw, staggering it. She snapped upwards, knocking it over, before punching its head, destroying it. She heard more shadows approaching from behind her, and she fired down, flipping over the three and firing flares at them. They tore through the Beowolves, destroying them. Four down, sixteen to go.

The Simul began to produce Beowolves faster, black particles emerging from the vents in swarms, obscuring Yang's vision. She slammed her fists together, a wave of heat pushing back the wolves around her, giving her chance to follow up with a lethal combo of kicks and punches. Sweeping the legs from under the Beowolf behind her, she rolled out of the way of a set of claws, firing a flare at the offender and destroying it. She returned her focus to the one she had knocked down, punching it in the head and destroying it. She worked her way through the rest of the pack, flurries of kicks and punches making quick work of them, until the final five simulations stood around her,

_Nasty machine, trapping me like this._

All five moved at once, leaping into the air to deliver an unavoidable rain of claws. She fired, forcing herself downwards and across the floor of the Simul. She left the simulations to land before standing and rushing forward, delivering many punches in just a few seconds, her eyes lapsing into their red state. She took a hit, but ignored it completely, using the energy to fight back. All five simulations were destroyed, and the Simul shut down, the particles disappearing into their vents. Breathing heavily, she turned towards the exit and noticed she had an audience. Ruby, Weiss and Blake were stood outside the glass room, and Ruby waved at her. Yang opened the door, letting herself out to allow someone else to use it, ignoring the scorch marks that were present on some of the surfaces.

"Morning Ruby!"

She embraced her sister, leaning in and whispering in her ear.

"I know what you did."

Ruby blushed. Blake laughed quietly, her heightened hearing picking out the words clear as if they had been spoken. Weiss remained oblivious.

"Come on, class starts in half an hour."

Weiss had taken it upon herself to alter the team's timetable so that Blake could catch up on the work she had missed. Ruby also had to catch up, since she had vehemently refused any suggestions that she should study of go to class. While Yang and Weiss revised what they already knew, Blake and Ruby took notes, desperately trying to keep awake in Port's class and desperately trying to keep up with Oobleck's caffeine-fuelled ramblings.

The hours ticked by, both girls filling several pages of their notebooks before the bell ring for the end of the day. The door to the RWBY dorm was thrown open, and the four girls crashed, undoing buttons and removing ties. Blake nursed her aching hand while Ruby just stretched out on her bed.

"Ugh, one day's catch-up done... Only four more..."

Yang just smashed her fists together.

"Well lucky you, since two of those days were nothing but combat training. Unfortunately for you, the other two days were entirely Oobleck's essay, the founding of Vale and Mountain Glenn. Shouldn't be too hard."

Ruby and Blake groaned. The latter stood, sliding her scroll into her pocket and picking up a bag. Ruby could see the faint bulge of a book inside.

"I'm going to the library."

"'Kay."

The Faunus walked out, and the room was silent for a few minutes, save for gentle breathing. Ruby quickly changed, hurrying out of the door. She followed the halls to the library, searching for Blake. The librarian glared at her as she entered; Ruby had been told to leave on multiple occasions for causing too much noise. As a result, she was not very popular. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she searched the various seating areas, searching for the Faunus. She soon spotted her, sat by herself. Ruby crept up behind her.

"What'cha reading?"

Blake immediately slammed the book shut, turning to Ruby.

"How long have you been there?"

"Less than a minute."

Blake let out a sigh.

"Good. Yang would kill me if you read some of this."

"Oh, okay. It's one of _those_ books. I knew you read them!"

Blake just blushed.

"Please leave."

"But this is boooooring! Come and spar with me! You need the extra training."

Blake considered it for a moment, before standing.

"Fair point. Alright. I'll spar with you."

Ruby beamed, sending a quick message to Yang and almost tearing Blake's arm off as she set off. Blake couldn't keep up with where they were going. Only when they arrived outside the gym did Blake realise that something was up. Yang was waiting for them outside, Crescent Rose and the Gambol Shroud tucked under her arms.

"This isn't the arena."

"Nope! Yang said we could use her scroll to access the Simul. I'm not gonna fight you now! You have tomorrow for that."

"You two be careful. The Simul is just a machine. Don't overdo it, because it'll keep going unless someone stops it."

Yang ushered the two into the gym, using her scroll to unlock the Simul, the heavy doors sliding apart. Ruby stood in the centre circle while Blake put in the Grimm she wanted to fight. Ruby waited, tensing up as the swarm of robots emerged, taking the shape of three Ursai and five Beowolves. The simulation started as the eyes of the effigies lit up red, the swarms acting like the beasts they took the image of. The Beowolves immediately charged forward, attempting to swarm Ruby. She swung her scythe, the blade landing behind on of the wolves. It looked like she missed, but Blake knew better. She pulled the trigger, the force of the recoil, pushing the blade straight through the Beowolf, killing it. The next two met their fate with a few well-placed shots from Blake, the bullets piercing skulls and shattering spines. Blake closed the distance, but was forced to ghost out of the way of a massive swipe from one of the Ursai. She turned to the offending beast and leapt forward, slicing at it with both her sword and bladed sheath. It blocked, and as Blake landed, reared up to smash her. She saw an opening and moved, delivering a fatal shot to the underside of its skull. The Ursa dissipated, leaving just two more. Ruby had dealt with the Beowolves and was running over to join Blake. That was when Blake noticed the white mist pouring out of the vents, enveloping the arena. The second thing she noticed was that Ruby and the Ursai were not moving. Looking outside the Simul, she could see Yang pressed against the Simul, watching intently, also not moving. At some point, Weiss must have joined her, as she was stood beside her, again not moving. She started to move towards Ruby, but was stopped when she heard a familiar, infuriating voice.

"You are mine, Blake."

Sighing audibly, she turned, and there it stood, regarding her with cold, blue eyes, a faint frown on its dead face, the grey flesh stretching oddly.

"I'm not interested, if you're making an offer, no."

"I am not here to bargain, Blake. I'm here to persuade you, Blake."

It walked to the wall of the Simul, passing through as if it was air. Pale fire gathered around its hand.

"Tell me what you value most, Blake."

"I'm not playing your games."

"Is it the Heiress, despite her father's racism, Blake? The brawler, with her violence and burning anger, Blake? Or the lover? The innocent, the child prodigy, Blake?"

It walked back into the Simul, the pale fire never leaving its hand.

"Shut up."

"Choose one, Blake. Surely I don't have to persuade you, Blake."

"Shut up!"

Blake ran forward, seeking to behead the demon. She leapt into the air, bringing down the Gambol Shroud in a killing arc. Yet, as she grew close, it threw the flames at her, and Blake was paralysed, the pain stopping her thinking clearly and dropping her weapon. She hit the floor hard, moaning in pain.

"You are a foolish girl, Blake. You had a choice, and now I will decide for you."

Blake could only watch as it walked over to Yang, raising a hand wreathed in flame. Blake's eyes went wide as it turned, discharging it at Weiss instead. The fire curled about her face, leaving a strange mark on it. The deed done, the angel walked to where Blake lay, standing over her.

"You belong to me, Blake. I will have my way."

It became like the fire it controlled, the flames enveloping Blake and absorbing into her. She screamed in pain, the mist vanishing and time continuing. She looked up and realised that she was underneath one of the Ursai. Ruby was too busy parrying another's claws to help. The Gambol Shroud was out of reach. Yang was looking at her sister. Weiss was holding her head in pain. She could not be helped. Above her, the Ursa swiped, shadowy claws whistling through the air. It swiped again and again, pinning her to the floor with a hail of slashes. Blake could feel her aura depleting. There was already too little to repel the beast, and soon her defence thinned. Desperation took her, and she threw her arms forward, the pale fire of the angel bursting forth and forcing the Ursa away. Blake rolled, scooping up the Gambol Shroud and delivering several strikes, watching as the mass of robotics recoiled and fell. It hit the floor, and Blake took its head. The swarm broke apart, disappearing into the vents while Ruby stared at Blake.

"What was that?"

Blake looked at her hands. Pale fire danced around her left, flickering in the bright light of the Simul. She flexed her arm, the flames flaring up; she threw her arm out again, eyes widening as a ball of blue flame flew away, striking the transparent wall and exploding, leaving a scorch mark. She turned to Yang and Weiss. The former was staring, jaw almost touching the floor. Weiss was holding a hand to her head, in obvious pain. Blake pushed the door open, approaching Weiss.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a headache."

Blake could see the otherworldly mark floating around her head. Blake watched it spiral around her, snapping back to reality when Weiss waved a hand in front of her.

"Why are you asking me if _I'm_ alright? You were shooting fire out of your hands with no Dust."

"It's really cool! Or should I say... Hot?"

Yang accompanied her statement with a wink, which was received with death glares from Blake and Ruby, and a groan from Weiss.

"I'm just going to see Goodwitch. Magic's her speciality."

Blake wrapped a bandage around her hand and almost set off before she realised the material was burning.

"Well, that's annoying."

After traversing Beacon again, attempting to hide her burning hand with a cloak with large sleeves, she soon reached the massive clock that served as Ozpin's office. Goodwitch was usually inside, rarely leaving the headmaster's side.

Raising her left hand to knock, she mentally berated herself for her mistake before knocking with her right instead. The response was instant.

"Come in."

She entered, the sounds of clockwork filling her hearing as the enormous gears shifted endlessly. Ozpin was sat behind his desk, hands steepled in front of his mouth. Glynda stood just behind him, arms crossed.

"Miss Belladonna. I assume you haven't just paid a visit for the sake of it. Now, what could possibly have transpired for you to come all the way up here?"

Blake lifted the sleeve covering her left hand, revealing the pale fire wreathing it. Ozpin's expression changed to a look of fury, and Glynda's expression darkened similarly.

"Oh dear."

Ozpin stood, stepping around his desk and placing a hand above hers. He took hold of her hand, quickly snatching his hand away as the heat almost burned him.

"Glynda. Do you reckon it's one of them?"

"It looks very similar."

"Then we shall work on the assumption that it is."

"Should we tell her?"

"Yes."

Ozpin took a folding chair out from under his desk and propped it up in front of it. Sitting behind the desk, he motioned for Blake to sit.

"Professor? What's happening to me?"

"As you have undoubtedly worked out, something is trying to possess you. However, this is not the first time this has happened. Glynda, the scroll, please."

Glynda left the office, leaving Blake alone with the headmaster. Taking a long drink from his mug, he started his story.

"For as long as humans have had sentience, we have strived to develop, to improve. We created weapons to push back the Grimm, to defend the first settlements. We discovered the uses of Dust to fortify the settlements, giving way to the four kingdoms. As we developed, we used Dust in new ways, integrating them with weapons and technology to do almost anything. However, the one thing that was never mastered was instantaneous transport.

"Dust, in either crystal or powdered form, lacks the precision to deconstruct a living being, transport it large distances and reconstruct it, still living. All experiments failed, and any matter sent always emerged mangled beyond recognition. A new way had to be found.

"At one point, twelve years ago, there was a breakthrough. Dust magi found that by using a specific combination of Dust, a relay could be created using a world that exists besides ours. This underworld caused Dust to react far differently than it does in this world. It became stable, allowing living beings to be sent through and reconstructed with 100% efficiency. But, this world was not uninhabited. Intangible beings existed there. They had no form, composed purely of energy. As the third human test subject used the relay, one of these beings interfered with the reconstruction process, binding to his cells and taking control. He slaughtered many personnel, scorching them with the pale fire that you have been afflicted with. The host body was killed, and it was suspected that the being would die off, as it had been cut off from its world. However, that was not the case.

"Six years later, it took control of another person, demonstrating that it could infiltrate a body when its Aura had been suppressed- we suspect that this may have been the case with you."

The door to the office opened, and Glynda walked in, carrying a scroll. Not the technological scroll that Blake was accustomed to, but a rolled-up parchment scroll inside a protective metal shell. Ozpin unrolled it on his desk.

"These being have been known to infiltrate this world from theirs in several points in time. They state that they appear for a short time, possessing a person and causing as much emotional suffering as possible before returning, host included, to their world." Ozpin sighed. "Every case is different. Some hosts were killed before the parasites could take control, some died as a result of possession, and others vanish into their world. We don't know what will happen to you, until it happens. The best we can do is keep you restrained as the parasite takes over. We don't know how long it will take until it takes control." He pointed to a line of glyphs on the scroll. "This line of text suggests that the mental fortitude of a host affects the time until total possession. We're unsure as to-"

He was interrupted by a ping on Glynda's Scroll. She read the alert, her eyes narrowing. Moments later, the alarm sounded.

"It appears we have a problem."

**Please keep reviewing. Tell me whatever's wrong so I can fix it. **

**Aura, out.**


	8. Scuffle

**Believe me, nlsnifoanifia, Blake will be far from weak. Also, the story is set after the events of "Breach", as mentioned in the notes at the start of chapter 6. **

**To clear up any confusion, Demonyms used are "Valic", for Vale, "Mistrali" for Mistral, "Atlesian", because that's canon, and "Vacuan" for Vacuo. **

**Thanks for the reviews! Onwards!**

-Gym-

Blake left the gym, heading to Ozpin's office. Ruby, Weiss and Yang waited. When their companion didn't return after ten minutes, they decided that they may as well do something while they waited. Weiss had stepped into the Simul, requesting that she fight a Deathstalker. She fell into a fencer's pose as the swarm constituted itself as the large scorpion, red eyes lighting up signalling its activation. Wasting no time, Weiss moved forward, gliding and stabbing towards its eyes. As she grew close, she spotted the stinger descending, and she broke off her attack to parry. Myrtenaster clattered off the armoured appendage, so Weiss boosted herself upwards, stabbing at the unprotected joint much like Ren had during the team-deciding trial. The scorpion did not scream, as the swarm did not have the capacity to do so. Instead, it reared back, exposing its underbelly. Weiss cast an explosive glyph beneath it, sending it skyward to detonate on the beast. The Deathstalker shuddered in midair, crashing to the ground. Weiss took it as a chance to blind it, quickly perforating three of its eight eyes before parrying a claw and backflipping away. She now had a blind spot to hide in. She boosted herself up to the stinger, slashing at it and cutting through the joint. The stinger fell away, useless.

Using her glyphs to heat up the tip of Myrtenaster, she forced the thin blade through one of the remaining eyes, burying it up to the hilt. The Deathstalker shuddered before falling apart, the swarm of robots disappearing into the vents. Weiss opened the door, and Ruby applauded. She went to sit down, but as she approached Ruby, her head exploded with pain, forcing her to her knees. When she opened her eyes again, the room had darkened, many of the lights flickering. She saw a movement in the shadows, dark mist curling up and taking shape. She saw horrifically long legs forming. Soon the rest of the body formed, a single eye burning on its head. It looked directly at her.

"Weiss, are you okay?"

"No! No one is! There's a Stalker in the room!"

She pointed directly at it, and Ruby and Yang followed her gaze, frowning slightly.

"There's nothing there."

"What?"

She was distracted as the Stalker launched a bone spear at her, and she just raised Myrtenaster in time to block it. It hit the blade with a metallic clang.

"What was that noise?"

"It's attacking me!"

"Ruby, get Weiss out of here. Weiss, where is it?"

"Corner of the room. Far right."

Yang moved over to the corner, feeling a pressure building as she did. She got the the point where the pressure was almost too much, and she punched forwards. Her fist connected with a bony faceplate, and the whole creature phased into visibility, screeching at her. Immediately, the alarm went off, signalling that there were Grimm inside of Beacon's walls. Ruby took hold of Weiss, supporting her head and neck before using her Semblance to run the two outside and down the corridor, towards the headmaster's office. She couldn't get there in one run, so she stopped using her Semblance to catch her breath, allowing Weiss to run on her own. They almost ran into the headmaster, Glynda and Blake as they rounded the corner to the lifts.

"Professor Ozpin! The Stalker's inside!"

Ruby would've explained further, but a ping on her Scroll stopped her. She answered. It was Yang.

"Rubes, the Stalker disappeared. Don't let your guard down, it seems to be able to move through shadows!"

Ozpin looked to Glynda, who shrugged.

"Ms. Schnee, you will come upstairs to my office, where we can prevent the Stalker from entering easily."

The two stepped into the lift, Blake joining them.

"I'll stand guard outside the office."

Glynda and Ruby took up position by the elevators. Glynda created a large circle on the ground, burning brightly with light, drowning out their shadows. They watched and waited as nothing approached. No shadows were present, Glynda had made sure of that. Upstairs, Weiss had done the same, casting her own glyphs to remove the shadows. She was sat down on a folding chair, and Ozpin was quizzing her.

"Do you know how this happened? Or why you specifically could see it until Yang punched it?"

"I don't know."

"Ms. Belladonna, do you have anything to add?"

"I watched the angel place a mark on her."

"And you think this mark drew in the Stalker?"

"Probably."

Ozpin hung his head.

"We are on alert. We have two first years and a professor facing off against the most lethal type of Grimm out there. We have an extradimensional being trying to possess another." He pulled out his scroll, typing in a quick code. Immediately, the lights turned red, the school shutting down. Blake heard heavy locks sliding into place across the school. "Full lockdown. We will prevent the Stalker from moving as much as possible. I can reroute power to the main lights. We will use glyphs where we can. We are in a full-scale emergency. As of this moment, each decision is life of death."

-Vale-

Tsul was on another shopping trip, this time for food. Their weekly supply had run out or expired, and Kisaragi was busy in his workshop _again_, so that left Tsul to buy the next week's provisions. He didn't mind the task, since it was a chance to get away from Kisaragi's endless tinkering in his workshop. Tsul was walking by the shores of the lake beneath Beacon when he realised three things.

One- Alarms were sounding at Beacon. He dismissed it as a fire drill, but the noise was unsettling.

Two- There was no-one around. Suspicious, since it was the middle of the day in summer. The shores were a popular location.

Three- The five people who had been tailing him since he left the shop were approaching, heads down, hands in pockets.

Tsul recognised the danger as it came. He set down his food shopping, falling into an easy stance. Behind his back, his Dust foci slipped into place on his palms. The five stopped in front of him.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

The leader raised his head, and Tsul could see twin tusks protruding from the man's jaw.

"Yes. I was wondering where we are. We're not Valic, you see. I have a map, if that helps..."

He whipped his hand out of his pocket, dragging a pistol with it. The other four did the same, and Tsul saw the White Fang emblem emblazoned on each pistol. Moving fast, he brought his hands around, using Dust, he projected a barrier of shadows. The first bullets were fired, the barrier hammering Tsul's arms as they impacted. Tsul threw his arms apart, the barrier exploding into shards that flew at his assailants. Most of them avoided the hail, but the leader took the full force, the shadows curling around him and depleting his Aura substantially. The other four returned fire. Tsul created another barrier, constructed of light. As he heard clips empty, he turned away and detonated the shield, a blinding flash radiating outwards. He heard several screams as the light burnt the retinas of the visually-enhanced Faunus. Tsul followed up with several quick slaps, incapacitating the zealots. Moving to the one he had knocked down earlier, Tsul summoned chains of shadow and cast them onto the zealot.

"Who?"

"I'm sayin' nothin'."

Tsul willed the chains to contract, and the Faunus writhed.

"Who sent you?"

"The White Fang, duh."

The chains contracted again.

"Alright! We were told by a lieutenant to kill you!"

"Where?"

"I don't know where they are! The order was sent by satellite!"

"Hmph."

Tsul contracted the chains to a point where the zealot could not breathe, and waited for him to fall unconscious. When he went limp, Tsul disintegrated the chains and summoned the police, standing by as each zealot was loaded into the van. When the van drove off, he picked up his bag of shopping and headed back to From Dust Till Dawn. A new window had been installed, complete with vinyl stickers spelling out the name of the shop. Tsul could not see Kisaragi, and assumed that he must have been in his workshop. He opened the door and stepped inside. He immediately noticed that there was no noise coming from the workshop.

"Kisaragi, I bought lunch. Are you hungry?"

Silence.

"Kisaragi?"

Tsul dropped the bag and strode to the workshop door. He slid his foci into place and kicked the door open. Inside, all of Kisaragi's machines were still in place, unharmed. But carved into the floor were three deep furrows. They were too deep to be of Grimm origin, and city-wide alarms would be ringing if Grimm were inside the walls. Inspecting them closer, he saw a note rolled up inside the middle groove.

_You will pay, or he will pay._

_200,000 Lien, the Docks, 22:00_

_You have three days._

The back of the paper was marked with the White Fang emblem. Tsul felt the rage building inside him, an emotion that he had not felt in some time.

_How dare they. How dare they take my lifelong friend. They will be the ones to pay._

Turning on his heel, he left the shop, starting the walk to Beacon, barely containing himself. He saw no Huntsmen or Huntresses on the street, which was strange. There was usually at least one team somewhere in town. He found out why as he came into view of the gates. Large plates of thick metal had risen out of their housing, barring all entry and exit to the campus. Tsul saw a man outside the gates, in a heated argument with the guard.

"Look, I don't care if there's a lockdown in place. I need to get in. I'm a qualified Huntsman, I can deal with this."

"Sorry sir, but we cannot open the gates for any reason. We're locked out of the system, since it's a headmaster override that initiated the lockdown."

"Useless!"

The man brought out a pair of katara and walked over to the barrier. The guard raised his stun gun.

"Sir, if you take another step, I'm authorised to detain you, Huntsman or no."

Ignoring him, the man punched, the katar's blade propelled upwards. The guard immediately fired his stun gun, the barb hitting the man's leg and delivering a powerful charge. The man spasmed, falling limp, suspended by his right arm that was lodged in the barrier.

"Mr Crimson, you're under arrest for breach of emergency protocol."

As the guard moved to cuff Crimson, Tsul made his move.

"Excuse me, officer, but can you tell me what's happening here?"

The guard turned, and Tsul placed a focus on his head and fired a concussive wave of shadows. The guard crumpled, unconscious. He helped Crimson to his feet, jolting slightly as the residual energy arced onto him.

"How can I get in?"

"Well, I was planning on climbing in. Thanks for taking care of that guard, by the way." He stuck out his hands, fingers still twitching slightly. "You were the merchant who was outside the walls."

"Tsul."

He shook his hand.

"Planning on climbing with chains? That will work."

Tsul conjured a chain of shadows and attached it to a shard. He fired it upward, the spike lodging itself in the barrier. Tugging on it to be sure, he started to climb, soon scaling the barrier. Felix as fired a blade, the powerful winch hoisting him upwards. The pair were stood atop the barrier, scanning the environment they were about to enter. They saw light streaming from the distant clock tower.

"There. That's where we go."

Jumping off the barrier, the pair landed quietly, setting off at a run across the campus. Around them, the alarms continued to blare, drowning out all other noise. Suddenly, as they drew close to the tower, the eerie light inside went out.

"That can't be good."

"Tsul, watch my back. I'm going up the side of the wall."

Crimson fired a katar blade, the chain extending behind it. As the first pulled him up, he fired another with his other arm, rapidly scaling the tower and settling outside the clock face. He gasped when he saw what lay inside.

-10 Minutes earlier-

Blake had never been tenser in her life.

She was stood in near-blinding light, standing guard outside Ozpin's office with the task of fending off a breed of Grimm that almost killed a team of fourth-years. She was a first year Huntress-in-training, on her own. She didn't stand a chance if the doors burst open now. She may have time to scream before the Stalker killed her. She berated herself. That wouldn't happen. The Stalker had nowhere to hide in the corridors, there was no cover for it. Glynda and Ruby would be able to hold it off.

Downstairs, Ruby and Glynda stood in silence, scanning their respective corridors. The Stalker hadn't attacked yet, but they could both feel it. It was watching them. They couldn't tell where, the light erupting from under their feet ruining their night vision. At least it stopped the Stalker from leaping from the shadows to kill them.

Ruby tensed up as she heard footsteps from her corridor. She aimed, waiting for the source to appear. Something rounded the corner and she pulled the trigger, and she got a yelp in return. But, as the muzzle flash cast Yang's shadow, the Stalker dragged itself out of its hiding place, immediately attacking Yang. She punched it in the jaw to throw it off-balance.

"Jeez sis! I though Qrow taught you to aim better than that!"

"Ms Xiao Long, step into the circle, now."

Yang delivered a kick to the Stalker's head, knocking it down before flipping into the circle.

"Any ideas?"

Glynda drew in a sharp breath and cast more runes, lighting up the entire corridor to reduce the Stalker's mobility as much as possible. The beast hissed, raising a forelimb. The tip shot off, headed straight for Ruby. She just managed to lift Crescent Rose to block, the bone spear shattering against the heavy blade. Ruby flipped backwards, giving herself some space to shoot while Yang closed in. Glynda summoned barrier circles, corralling the Stalker in. As Yang delivered the first punch, Ruby shot, the lightning- infused round delivering a shock to the Stalker. Ruby realised her mistake as Yang grunted, the electricity arcing onto her gauntlets and into her arms.

_I have got to remove that Bolt Disc._

The Stalker headbutted Yang, sending her flying. Ruby shot forward next, her electrified scythe swinging towards the Grimm. It almost dodged, managing to change the lethal blow into just a thin cut. The Bolt Disc delivered another charge, conducting into its nervous system and causing it to spasm. At that point, Glynda used her barrier circles to trap it in a cube of energy. It crashed against the walls, trying to escape.

"Ozpin? We have it contained."

"Excellent work."

Up in the office, Weiss breathed a sigh of relief, allowing her glyphs to die out. She was safe, at least for a while. Ozpin was relieved too, able to lift the lockdown with no casualties. Weiss called out to Blake.

"Blake, can you tell me what that... Thing... Did to me?"

Silence. Ozpin's head shot up.

"Where is Blake?"

-Blake-

"It's my turn, Blake."

"No, I won't let you."

"You cannot stop me, Blake."

"Shut up."

Blake pulled out the Gambol Shroud, switching it to its pistol form and emptied the magazine at the angel. It didn't flinch. It laughed quietly, walking forward with a deliberate slowness that put Blake on edge. Blake went to reload, only to find she had no more clips. She tried to move as it grew closer, but she couldn't. It was like trying to move her legs through concrete. She looked up. The angel was _grinning_, an expression that looked terrifying on its decayed face. It stood above her.

"No... No!"

It place its hands on either side of her head, pale fire swarming her body. Her mind grew blank as the angel took over.

"Now, Blake, we are going to have some fun."

-Ozpin's Office-

Weiss turned to a horrific sight. Time slowed. Blake was descending from the gears above, sword drawn to deliver a lethal blow to the professor below. Her hair billowed behind her, a cloud of shadows in the limited light, revealing her piercing blue eyes. She landed, her blade skewering Ozpin. The man gasped, slumping forward and falling over as the blade was pulled out, his Aura failing to protect against the pale fire wreathing the blade. Weiss moved her hand to her mouth in shock before composing herself, gliding and slashing at Blake. Blake blinked, and Weiss slashed at a shadow, the pale fire within erupting outwards as she did so, knocking Weiss down. She felt cold hands pull her up and a blade press against her throat.

"Blake..." She croaked. "Why? We're friends..."

"Did you really think I was your _friend_? Oh no, Weiss. I was never your friend. Neither was Blake. Not anyone. A hollow mask. Lies, lies of friendship, Weiss. How insipid."

She felt the blade bite down, and she closed her eyes.

"No..."

She resigned herself to her fate, but snapped her eyes open when the clock face shattered, allowing Felix Crimson to enter, his face twisted with fury. A blade pierced through Blake's hand, causing her to hiss in pain and jump away. She blinked and delivered a powerful kick to Felix's chest, forcing to drop to his knees and hang on to the clock face to stop himself falling. As he pulled himself into the tower, he saw the elevator doors closing. He rushed over to Ozpin, surprised when he saw little blood. He was sure his wound was mortal. He was even more surprised when Ozpin groaned, lifting his cane and using it to prop himself up.

"Professor, how did you..."

"Semblance. I possess a healing factor that I can apply to myself. Takes a while to heal large wounds though."

He stood up straight, the wound through his chest knitting itself together, leaving a ragged scar, which soon faded. Weiss looked on, horrified by his resurrection and Blake's words. Felix calmly walked over to the elevator and pressed the button.

Downstairs, the elevator dinged, and Glynda turned to face Ozpin. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Blake stood there, both eyes burning blue. Her glare turned to shock as she threw a punch, Glynda's head rocking back. A kick drove her to her knees, and she barely had time to grunt in surprise before Blake was knocked away be Yang's fiery fist. Blake retaliated, blinking behind Yang, who attempted to block, but was too slow. A pale punch to the jaw knocked her out cold. Blake leapt on top of her, ready to end her tragically short life, when an inner voice stopped her.

_YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY FRIENDS FROM ME._

Blake was unable to bring her fist down, so she growled and stood. Ruby came next, her electrified blade cutting through the air. Blake blinked again, attempting to surprise Ruby from behind, but the smaller girl's accelerated reaction time allowed her to block and move away. Blake growled. She gathered pale fire in her hand, unleashing a stream of flame at Ruby. She caught the blast in the chest, throwing her off balance as she tried to snuff out the flames on her clothes. One punch later and she went down, leaving only Glynda. She was standing again, and look set to explode. She curled her hand into a fist, the barrier cube containing the Stalker shrinking. It screeched and resisted, but the witch snapped her fist shut, crushing it into non-existence.

"Are you trying to intimidate me, witch?"

She blinked, and ran head-first into a barrier circle. Glynda moved her crop, Crescent Rose rising off the ground and spinning, rotating faster and faster into an electrical blender. With a snap of her fingers, the scythe was propelled towards Blake at ludicrous speed. She had no time to dodge, only time to bolster her Aura. She turned and ran after the blade hit her, only to be restrained by a chain of shadows. That annoying man, Tsul, was staring at her, gathering light energy in one hand while holding the chains in another. A terrible beam of light filled the corridor, scorching Blake. She howled in defiance, attempting to resist the energy bombarding her. She soon lost her fight, falling unconscious as her Aura depleted. Tsul terminated the beam, shaking his hand to dissipate the residual energy that flew off in sparks. At that point, the elevator door opened, Crimson, Weiss and Ozpin emerging. Ozpin immediately went to each body on the floor, reading off the injuries into his scroll, directly to the infirmary staff.

"Glynda Goodwitch, unconscious with a broken jaw and a broken sternum. Ruby Rose, unconscious with a broken jaw and second-degree burns to the chest. Yang Xiao-Long, unconscious, with a broken jaw." He moved over to where Blake lay, Tsul still maintaining the chains of shadow. "Blake Belladonna, unconscious, with first-degree burns to the face, hands and arms. Possessed."

Minutes later, eight nurses appeared, pushing four gantries between them. The sisters and Goodwitch were loaded first and wheeled away to the infirmary. Blake was lifted next, Tsul chaining her to the gantry before allowing the nurses to move. He pulled one aside.

"If she wakes up, and her eyes are blue, knock her out. She will not hesitate to kill us all."

The nurse nodded, taking hold of the gantry and wheeling it way. Ozpin looked after her, sighing deeply.

"How have things come to this?"

**And there you have it. Things are certainly heating up now. Please keep reviewing so I can fix things.**

**Aura, out.**


	9. Recovery

**Last chapter got TWO WHOLE REVIEWS. Woo! **

**If I were to take requests ****nlsnifoanifia, I'd restrict them to people who have an account on FF and review often. The other is that request prompts would be sent by PM, and must be able to be made into a one or two-shot, at a maximum of 4-5k words per shot. If it were to be a full story, I'd need collaboration from all parties involved. No smut. There's no guarantee I'd follow out a request, but if I found the time, I'd certainly try.**

**Onwards!**

"Ozpin, a moment please."

"Yes?"

Tsul handed Ozpin the ransom he had been left. Ozpin's eyes swept over it, taking in every detail.

"Who are they referring to?"

"Kisaragi."

"Who is he?"

"A friend of mine."

"I see. And the White Fang are using him to extort you?"

"It would seem like it."

Ozpin handed the ransom back to Tsul, regarding him with expressionless eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want some help getting Kisaragi back."

"I will not send one of my Teams into danger like that."

"Not even some fourth-years?"

"My children are not mercenaries. They're trainees."

"It's fine, Professor, I'll go with him."

The two men turned to see Felix stood there.

"Really? You would help me?"

Ozpin protested.

"Mr Crimson. You do realise that I can't just let a member of the teaching body leave to attack the world's largest group of misguided individuals?"

"Of course."

"And you understand that by leaving, you'll be putting yourself in danger?"

"Of course."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed.

"I don't have a chance of talking you down, do I?"

"No, sir."

Ozpin turned on his heel, dropping a piece of paper as he hurried away while checking his Scroll. Felix picked it up and went to shout Ozpin, but he was nowhere to be seen. He studied the paper, his eyes widening. Tsul arched a brow.

"What is it?"

Felix held it up for Tsul to see.

"It's a map of the best vantage points at the docks."

"Sly bastard."

That night, Tsul and Felix were lay on a roof above the docks, the former using night vision goggles to see without drawing attention to himself. Felix had removed his glasses, his red eyes glinting in the darkness. They had gotten there an hour before the time on the ransom, deciding that a stakeout was a much more viable option than taking on an unspecified number of well-armed Faunus.

The pair waited and were caught off guard when a Bullhead swept into the docks, the engines far quieter than the standard model.

"That's a Wyvern. Stealth model Bullhead. They're not even on the market yet. How did they get it?"

"Doesn't matter. Look."

The Wyvern landed, and the door opened. Two zealots dragged a man out of the aircraft. His head was covered with a black bag.

"That's Kisaragi. Should we go now?"

"I'm ready whenever you are."

Tsul got up and jumped from the roof, landing in a squat. Straightening up, he walked into the dock. Two more zealots had joined the first two, and a fifth was on a mounted gun inside the Wyvern.

_Great. Outmanned and outgunned._

One of the zealots noticed his approach and raised a gun to Kisaragi's head. Tsul stopped.

"Do you have the money?"

"Is that Kisaragi?"

One zealot yanked the bag off, and Tsul's eyes narrowed when he saw the state of Kisaragi. His swept blindly around the docks, unable to see in the dark. Even with the night vision goggles, Tsul could see the numerous cuts and bruises on his friend's face. The gun against his head never wavered.

"The money."

Tsul held up a Lien card. It looked convincing, and only a close examination would prove it to be fake.

"Hold it out at an arm's reach and keep you other hand in the air."

Tsul did as he was instructed, holding out the card. A zealot snatched it from his hand, looking it over. He handed to the one in the Wyvern.

"Verify it."

_Crap._

Tsul started to whistle, an innocent tune, but by the time the first few notes reached Felix's ears, he was moving. He crouched behind the Wyvern, mentally preparing himself. He knew about the door gunner, so he would have to be fast. Tsul had told him that as long as Kisaragi was conscious, their plan would work. Felix moved, emerging from behind the Wyvern and using the Noli Turris to disarm the zealot holding a gun to Kisaragi's head. Before the door gunner could react, he leaned down and cut Kisaragi's bonds while sliding a pair of night vision goggles over his head.

"Semblance, now."

As soon as he could move his hands, Kisaragi placed his palms together and disappeared. Immediately, he was strangling the door gunner. Felix moved to the four remaining zealots, throwing his arms wide and emitting a red pulse, catching the zealots in the energy. Immediately, they started running in fear, Felix's Semblance causing them to hallucinate the three as beasts far bigger than they were, wreathed in blood and fire. Felix looked away for one second, towards Tsul, and when he turned back, Kisaragi was on top of the front zealot, delivering a rapid flurry of punches. Tsul unleashed a wave of shadows, opting not to use his light so that he did not blind himself. Two more zealots went down, leaving just one running into Vale. Felix blinked and Kisaragi was there, a sleeper hold around the zealot's neck. He soon went down. Tsul stepped into the Wyvern, searching the pilot for the access code. Kisaragi had knocked him out too, explaining why the craft hadn't taken off. He soon found them, clutched inside the Faunus' hands. Tsul prised them loose before pocketing the codes. Tsul had moved the unconscious zealots onto the craft and was currently chaining them down with shadows. Kisaragi just managed to pull himself into the hold, holding his stomach as he did so. Clearly, he was not as well as he seemed. He groaned as the lights in the hold were turned on, and he pulled his night vision goggles off. He heard the powerful engines start up.

"Tsul, you know how to fly this thing?"

"No clue."

Felix entered the cockpit.

"It shouldn't be hard. They're designed for simplicity. Try those. Don't worry about stealth for now. We can learn how to do that later."

Tsul pulled upwards on the two joysticks and the engine pitch increased, the craft lurching upwards.

"Bullheads are programmed to hover."

Tsul let go of the joysticks, and sure enough the craft remained stationary in the air.

"Try pushing the sticks forward."

Tsul did so, the craft slowly accelerating. Felix set up the navigating computer before leaving and tending to Kisaragi's wounds. The journey was short, the Wyvern crossing Vale in little time. Tsul was snapped out of his focus when a voice crackled through the radio.

"Unmarked craft, you are entering the restricted airspace of Beacon."

Tsul let go of the sticks, the Wyvern stopping mid-air. He searched for the transmitter.

"Unmarked craft, if you do not respond, you will be seen as a threat."

Tsul found the transmitter and jammed the button down.

"Please, don't shoot."

"Unmarked craft, identify yourself."

Felix entered the cockpit and took the transmitter.

"This is Felix Crimson."

"Crimson, please stand by while we verify your identity."

A few moments passed before another message came through.

"And Ragnarok shall pass, but we will not go quietly."

Felix lifted the transmitter, motioning for Tsul to cover his ears and look away. He did so.

"We will stand together beneath the burning skies."

"Identity verified. You a cleared to land on platform two."

Felix tapped Tsul on the shoulder, and he turned and pressed the sticks forward, approaching Beacon. He slowed as he approached the pad, the circular platform surrounded by lights. Tsul navigated the Wyvern over it before pressing the sticks down, the craft dropping sharply. Tsul let go, taking a deep breath before pressing down again, but slowly.

"I would've told you about the landing gear, but you never took it in."

The wheels touched down, the impact jolting the craft. Felix went into the hold, opening the door. Kisaragi had passed out, which was worrying. Ground crew came running up to the door. Felix immediately began instructing them.

"We have one injured and five detained. This man needs help as soon as possible. The other five, that's up to you."

-Infirmary, the next morning-

Ruby's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes scanned the white ceiling. She heard steady, rhythmic beeping, and could smell disinfectant. Suddenly, she remember what had transpired in the hallway, and sat up rapidly, calling Blake's name.

Or at least, she tried to. She cringed as she sat up, the burns on her chest shifting and causing her pain. She could only manage a panicked "Ay!" before she realised that there was a restraint around her jaw, holding it in place. A nurse looked around the curtain to her bed, and smiled when she saw Ruby awake.

"Good morning!" Ruby tried to smile before remembering the restraint. She settled for a wave instead. "Good, you're aware and cognisant, there shouldn't be many lasting issues. Now, your jaw was broken, so to stop you from moving your jaw while it sets, you're wearing a restraint. Your Aura has accelerated the healing process, but it'll be another day or two before it heals completely. You also suffered second-degree burns all over your chest. Again, they've mostly healed, but it'll take another few days before you can move as well as you could." A moan from the next bed drew the nurse's attention. "I have to go. Oh, and don't remove that drip."

The nurse moved out of sight, leaving Ruby to lie back and try to ignore the drip in her arm. Her burns itched, but she knew she shouldn't touch them. She wanted to talk, but the restraint stopped her. She resigned herself to her bed. She lay there, bored, for ten minutes before the nurse pulled back the curtain. Ruby turned to her right, and Yang waved at her. She motioned to her scroll. Ruby reached for hers on the bedside table, opening the messenger. A message from Yang popped up.

"_Hey sis :)"_

_"You alright Yang?"_

_"I feel fine, just a broken jaw. You?"_

_"Jaw, burns on chest. V. Painful."_

_":'("_

_"Where's Blake?"_

_"Not a clue."_

Ruby saddened a little. She hated not knowing where her love was.

_"Is she still..."_

_"Still what?"_

_"Possessed?"_

_"Don't know."_

Meanwhile, in a separate, soundproofed room, Blake lay unconscious. She was unconscious, having been out out by the nurses again. One nurse was stood with Ozpin as he observed. Blake's eyes opened again, blue flames lighting the room. The nurse took aim with a tranquilliser rifle as pale fire began to heat up the shackles and chains holding Blake down. One discharge later, Blake faltered, eyes sliding shut again.

"It's no use, professor. Every time she wakes, she is possessed. We cannot talk to her in her current state."

Ozpin frowned slightly, considering the situation; they needed a way to talk to Blake without the parasite melting through its bonds and butchering the school.

"Keep her under for now. We need time to think."

Ozpin left the room, heading over to where the sisters lay. Yang saw him coming and waved. Ruby followed suit.

"Girls, I wish there was more I could do. But at the moment, Blake is beyond control."

Ruby typed out a message.

_"What keeps happening?"_

"Every time she gains consciousness, she is possessed. Blue eyes, fire, et cetera. She tries to melt through the chains we're using to restrain her."

Ozpin turned to Yang as the blonde shook his arm. He read the message on the Scroll.

_"Vacuum chamber."_

"What do you mean?"

Yang quickly typed out a message.

_"Keep her in a vacuum chamber. Fire needs 3 things- Fuel, Heat, Oxygen. Remove one and you can't have fire. The Fuel is her Aura, the Heat is generated by her Aura, so the Oxygen is the one thing we can access."_

Ozpin thought for a few minutes.

"It'll take time to build the chamber. Very good idea, Ms Xiao Long. I hope that we will be able to talk to her."

Two days later, Blake had been moved inside a large steel container. Only her head remained outside, and thick cuffs kept her arms to her sides. A large rubber seal lay across her neck. The inside of the chamber had been emptied of all oxygen to prevent Blake from creating her fire. Ruby was sat nearby, her jaw had healed to a point where she could talk for short periods of time without pain. She was still restricted to puréed food, however.

Ozpin and a nurse stood by, the latter holding an adrenaline needle. After a nod from Ozpin, she stepped forward, pressing the needle into the Faunus' neck and injecting the adrenaline. Blake's eyes shot open, darting around the room and scanning its occupants. She tried to move her arms, but found that she could not. Her head snapped back and forth, the only part of her body that could move. She tried creating fire on her arms, but that didn't work either- there was no oxygen inside the container. She stopped moving, glaring daggers at Ozpin.

"We killed you."

"You did."

"The wound was fatal."

"It was."

"How are you stood there now?"

"Semblance."

"That's impossible."

"I am talking to a possessed Huntress, so please, don't waste time with impossibilities." He walked forwards, standing beside Blake. "What are you?"

"Cat Faunus."

"No, that is what Blake is. I'm asking what /you/ are."

Blake growled.

"We would never tell you."

"I figured as much. Nurse, if you would."

The woman nodded and stepped forward, placing a hand in either side of the girl's head.

"What are you-"

She stopped talking as small beams of light left the nurse's hands and lanced through her head. Her eyes went blank.

"What is she doing?"

"She is searching through Blake's mind, and the mind of the being inhabiting her. She's looking for what it is."

The nurse's eyes were closed in concentration as she directed the light to read the contents of Blake's brain without damaging it. Blake's eyes shifted, and the nurse flinched.

"She's trying to force me out."

Steadying herself, she searched again, looking for what was inside of Blake. Soon, she felt the mindscape change, shifting from books, the White Fang and Ruby to something far more alien. She saw a different world, one where physics held little sway and Dust erupted from a terrain constructed of flame. She saw shapeless beings flitting about the realm. With sudden clarity, she knew what the realm was and what the beings were. She started to extract herself, but as she did so, she saw something far more terrible. She saw souls chained to the ground, screaming for release. She realised that they were eternally trapped, enslaved by the Transcendent of the Pale Void. Had she not been used to seeing mortal injuries and mental breakdowns, she may have lost her mind then.

She quickly but carefully disentangled herself, feeling the thing inside Blake roiling at her intrusion. She moved her hands away as Blake regained coherence and tried to bite her. She turned to Ozpin.

"They call themselves the Transcendent."

"And their world?"

"The Pale Void."

The Transcendent Blake looked ballistic, screaming hatred for the nurse and her intrusion.

"You will burn! Your desecration will not go unpunished! I will see your soul bound by flame for eternity!"

Ozpin stepped forward, looking her dead in the eyes. The Transcendent stared at him.

"That's quite the change in demeanour. How did that happen?"

"Your mortal language is difficult to emulate. So... Noisy. Complex. We have much simpler methods of communication."

"I've also noticed that you no longer refer to yourself as an individual. Why?"

"There are more of us."

"Where?"

"In the Pale Void. In this world. In this body."

"Are you a hive?"

"No."

"Then how do you work?"

"We take a vessel. We use it. We take it to the Void." The Transcendent's voice changed. "I, being the first taker, can evict others from this body."

"Can you leave the body?"

"Why would I? I like this one. She is strong." Her voice changed again. "We can make good use of her."

Ozpin turned around, heading out of the room. The nurse followed her, leaving Ruby alone with the Transcendent. It looked at her.

"We have no use for you."

"Blake, are you listening?"

"We own this body. I command it."

"I know it's difficult, but I want you to listen."

"Stupid child."

"You can fight them."

"She has no hope."

"I know you. You can work your way out of anything."

"She is ours."

"The Transcendent aren't better than us. They're the stupid ones."

"I will incinerate you."

"Then why didn't you?" Hard silver eyes pierced fierce blue ones, and the Transcendent's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you kill me? Or Glynda? Or Yang?" She didn't get a response. "I'll tell you why: Blake won't let you."

"We were merciful."

"You could have destroyed us all."

"I forbade it."

"Blake forbade it."

"Silence!"

Ruby smiled as the Transcendent lost its temper, descending to her level, to humanity's level.

"See? They feel emotion. They're limited in the same way. Come on Blake, I know you're in there."

The Transcendent flinched as if struck, growling.

"I will not talk to you, you insolent child! To even insinuate that a girl could-"

The Transcendent was cut off when Ruby placed her lips against Blake's. It lay there, wide-eyed for a moment before screeching, attempting to tear at Ruby's lips with its teeth. Ruby pulled away, and the Transcendent continued to thrash. Its eyes went wide, the blue fading, draining into Blake's pupils and revealing the natural golden colour that lay behind.

"Ruby?"

"Blake?"

"Oh god, I remember... I'm so sorry... I hurt you..."

"No, that thing hurt me. You've done nothing wrong."

"Not just you... But Yang, and Glynda... Weiss... And- and Ozpin! I stabbed him! I killed him!"

"No. It tried to kill me, but I am an old man, with many secrets. I am quite curious as to how Ruby managed to get through to you, however."

Blake turned her head to look at Ozpin.

"Professor, I-"

"Stop. I do not need your apologies, Blake. You didn't do this. No matter what happens, do not blame yourself." He inspected Blake, opening her left eye with his fingers. Straightening out again, he turned to Ruby. "How did you get through to her?"

Blake turned away, and Ruby blushed. Ozpin laughed quietly.

"I won't press the subject. I have a few questions for you, Blake, if you don't mind."

"Fire away."

"What was is like, being possessed?" He held up his Scroll, ready to type. "Were you conscious?"

"Yes, it was like watching a TV, except it was through my own eyes."

"Where were you? Many subjects of possession or hypnosis claim they were somewhere other than this world."

"It like a white space. There were no distinct walls, just pressure. I could attack the walls just by trying to force my way through them."

"Nothing else? Just walls?"

"Just walls, and voices. Screams."

"Pardon me? You heard screaming?"

"Yes. It sounded like humans and Faunus, begging for death."

"I see. Well, Blake, I hope you understand that until we're sure you're no longer possessed, we cannot let you out of this chamber."

"I understand."

"Sorry."

Without another word, Ozpin left, leaving the girls alone. Blake sighed and looked at Ruby.

"So, how about I kiss you back this time?"

-Office-

Felix was in his office, drawing a plan of his next lesson while massaging his head. He had one hell of a headache, having been up most of the previous night fighting and giving statements. It had caught up to him. He found he couldn't concentrate very well, and soon threw his pencil across the desk in annoyance. He needed something interesting to do. He stood up, ready to leave, when a knock on the door stopped him.

"Come in." He shouted, siting back down again. The door opened. Glynda stood in the doorway, bandages strapped around her chest. She walked slowly, resting on a single crutch. She sat down carefully.

"What can I help you with?"

"In my current condition, I cannot take my normal combat training classes."

"Alright. And?"

"I want you to run mine for me while I recover."

Felix nodded slowly.

"I can do that."

"Thank you."

Glynda stood again, heading for the door. Felix stopped her.

"Why not just tell me that by Scroll? Why drag yourself all the way from the infirmary to my office, just to ask me to cover a lesson?"

He detected a slight tinge of red growing on her ears. She didn't turn around, instead walking towards the door. She wordlessly opened it, leaving the office. Felix sat there for a second before cracking a smile, laughing to himself as he realised exactly why Glynda had done what she did. He stood up, recovering his thrown pencil before sitting down, continuing his plan.

-Ozpin's Office-

Since the incident with the Stalker, the bloodstains had been cleared. Ozpin was sat behind his desk, the rhythmic, metallic sounds of the clock filling the spacious room as he waited for his guest. There soon came a knock on the door, and Ozpin allowed it to slide open. Tsul walked in, standing at ease in front of the desk.

"You wanted to see me, professor?"

"Yes. I'm surprised that you managed to steal a Wyvern. But I'm more curious as to how the three of you caused so many different injuries. Two White Fang zealots have suffered what appears to massive blunt force trauma, while all of them have chafed wrists, like shackles have been there. More of your victims from other incidents had flash burns. Care to shed some light on the situation? I appreciate that the easiest way to detain someone is to incapacitate them, but how can you inflict so many different injuries?"

Tsul lifted his arms, allowing his foci to slide into place. Ozpin saw a jewel extend from Tsul's sleeves and settle into each hand, while thin struts emerged from on top of his wrist, looping around his fingers and attaching to the jewel.

"My weapon, the Twilight Focus, is made up of two rigs, one on each hand." He retracted the one on his left, using his hand to point to the various parts. "The main focus crystal is what gives me my power. The rest is entirely dependent on finger work and gesturing." He splayed his fingers. "This generates a barrier, while punching forward will shatter the barrier. Using one finger will throw a ball, and two will generate a beam. Those are just some of the things I can do. Either hand can be aligned to either Light or Shadow, but I usually use a mix."

"I see. And how is Kisaragi doing?"

"He's holding up. He had some internal bleeding, and he reopened some of his wounds while fighting."

"Hmm. No lasting damage then. Good. Alright, you may leave."

"Thank you, professor."

-?-

"You lost a Wyvern."

"Yes sir."

"And five of our men have been captured."

"Yes sir."

"Do you understand how much money this operation has cost us?"

Silence.

"Do you?!"

"No sir."

"Lieutenant, from this moment on, you will not be leading any ops until you've paid back the cost of the Wyvern. Pay will be quartered in order to... Motivate you. Dismissed."

The lieutenant left the courtroom, and another walked in.

"What is it, lieutenant?"

"Plans, plans for an operation."

He handed them to the captain, who read through the amassed paper.

"Where did you get this information?"

"Data mining."

"Answer the question."

"The Beacon medical archives."

"And we could trigger a permanent change?"

"Yes sir."

The captain's eyes drifted down to the requested equipment list.

"Deathstalker venom, in a dart gun or as hypodermic syringes. Approved."

The captain signed the page before handing it back to the lieutenant.

"Requisitions will get you what you need. Low risk, High reward. As far as I'm concerned, this op has clearance."

**Feel free to ask any questions via review or PM, and tell me anything needing fixing, because then I can fix it.**

**Aura, out.**


	10. Liberation

**At the time of uploading, there were no new reviews. So without further ado, here is the next chapter. Onwards!**

Blake slept. Blake dreamed. In her dream, she saw ancient experiments, Dust mixed with other Dust to create new forms of Dust. She saw new practices take hold, weaving, fuelling, attacking, and defending. She soon saw the first of the transport experiments.

She watched as precise amounts of Dust were mixed, some red, some blue, and a small amount of white. The mix was placed on the ground and set alight, vapours rising out of the dish and falling, spreading along the ground. They filled the pre-cut channels, arcane runes lighting up with energy. The circle was completed and space was ripped in two, a rift opening in the ground. The experimenters looked into the hole, and Blake recognised the bleakness of the Pale Void. Except... There was no screaming. No Transcendent could be seen. She watched as five men armed with spears entered the rift, exploring this new dimension. She watched from their perspective as they shielded their eyes against the glare. Some of them dug at the strange rock that made up the ground, breaking it open and revealing iridescent Dust. One picked it up, combining it with some red, and throwing it forward. The fire was pale, and did not conform to physics. It kept on burning, even as the Dust ran out. They began breaking the ground with increased enthusiasm, scooping the iridescent Dust into bags. She heard shouting, and the five men turned, watching as the rift closed. One of them ran forward, hurling two bags of iridescent Dust through the portal before diving through himself. The rift closed around him, and Blake winced as he was bisected. The men panicked, searching for the rift that was painfully non-existent.

Blake watched the days pass, the men consuming the iridescent Dust to sustain themselves. Blake saw that their eyes had become blue, and they no longer talked to each other. Yet they understood each other perfectly, messages passing unseen between each mind. She watched as their flesh paled, the life leaving them. Pale fire covered their limbs. And then, centuries later, a rift opened. Men in traditional clothing entered, carrying early rifles. The four Transcendent stood for the first time in centuries, ancient bones creaking as they turned to face the explorers. As they approached, the twelve men raised their rifles, taking aim. The crack of gunpowder filled the Void, lead pellets tearing into the Transcendent. They did not falter, and one raised an arm. The rift closed, sealing the men inside. They reloaded with military expertise, firing again to no effect. The four Transcendent lifted their arms in unison, the ground beneath the soldiers giving way as it became Dust, and they coughed and spluttered as they inhaled it, passing out as it bound to them. Days passed, and they too consumed the Dust. Years passed again, their previous gear corroding and withering away. The Transcendent raised towers, the spires wreathed in flame. Blake watched as she saw the souls of the living appear around them. A Transcendent reached out, but was repulsed by Aura. They waited, and over the years they closed in as more minds appeared in the tower, the population of Remnant rising. Every now and then, a soul's Aura went down, and a Transcendent disappeared into it. Days later, a small rift would appear, the body the mind belonged to deposited into the Void. The Transcendent left her, returning control to her before she screamed, attempting to run. One simply appeared in front of her, coating her face in iridescent Dust. She fell unconscious, awakening days later to consume Dust. This repeated, but they were no longer creating new Transcendent. They were bringing bodies through and chaining them down, torturing them. Blake watched with mounting horror as the body count rose through the years, the screams rising. She was snapped from her nightmare screaming as she watched herself appear, before she was chained down along with the rest, the playthings of the Transcendent until her soul gave out

Blake screamed, waking from her nightmare. Ruby was stood above her, stroking her ears soothingly.

"You alright?"

Blake breathed deeply, sucking in air. She tried to wipe her eyes, but remembered that her body was inside the vacuum chamber. Ruby did it for her, embracing her the best she could. Blake wished with all her being that she could hug her back. She looked at the clock on the wall. It read half ten at night.

_I will savour her screams as she burns._

_Shut up._

"Ruby..."

"Yes?"

"Will you read to me?"

"Sure. But... There's no books in here."

"Get one from the top shelf in the dorm."

Ruby walked out of the chamber, slinking through the infirmary, trying not to wake any of the patients. She soon walked through the empty halls. She waved her Scroll in front of the lock, the door popping open. She used the limited light cast by the screen to search the shelf. She read the spines, deciding on a book named "Fracture". As she went to open the door, she was stopped by a voice.

"Ruby?"

"Yes, Weiss?"

"What are you doing?"

"Getting a book for Blake."

"I don't know what I expected. Good night."

"Good night."

Ruby left, carrying the book with her. She was soon back in the infirmary, inside Blake's room. A nurse was talking to Blake.

"So is that alright with you?"

"Yes. You can take a sample."

The nurse went to the side of the chamber, placing a needle in an airlock. One his later and the needle was inside the chamber.

"Blake?"

"Oh, hi Ruby. The nurse is just taking a blood sample."

Ruby opened the book, beginning to read aloud as the nurse placed her hands into a pair of thick gloves. She took the needle, inserting it into Blake's arm. She winced as she did so. Soon, the needle was back inside the airlock and outside the chamber. The nurse poured the blood into several tubes and placed them in a centrifuge in the corner of the room. The machine spun up, and minutes later, shut off. Ruby stopped reading as the nurse held up the tube to Blake. Her blood had split, a layer Plasma, a thin layer of red, and at the bottom iridescent powder. Blake scowled at it.

"Don't touch that Dust. It'll kill you."

The nurse nodded, carrying the rest of the tubes away.

"Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"Please keep on reading."

Ruby opened the book again, her reading punctuated by the turn of a page at regular intervals. Blake relaxed, losing herself to the story and Ruby's voice, slowly drifting into a dreamless sleep.

-Vale Hospital-

Tsul was beside Kisaragi's bed. He was resting at the moment. His injuries had mostly healed, his Aura speeding up the process, but he had overworked himself with such sporadic use of his Semblance during their strike on the docks. As a result, he had injured himself internally, rupturing several blood vessels inside his body. Suddenly, Kisaragi gasped, his eyes flying open. Tsul steadied him.

"Easy, what was it?"

"I know how we can make the Ultima Drive."

"What?"

"Your lifelong dream of making a Disc that could do anything, I know how to do it."

"Alright. How?"

"Remember that one time we visited Vacuo, to see the Archives of Legends?"

"Yes?"

"In there it mentioned a type of Dust not found in this world. It was iridescent. The writing said that it acts far different than normal, and exhibits characteristics of all Dust."

"So..?"

"All we need to do is get some of this Dust, not a lot, only about two grams, and I can make the Ultima Drive."

"I can think of several problems, right now. The first is that, unlike the rest of Vacuo, the Archives have Altas-tier security unlike anything elsewhere on Remnant, perhaps aside from the Atlesian headquarters. We won't just be able to take the legend. The second is that the Dust itself is very difficult to find. Even if they have some at the Archives, again we can't just take it. The third is that, now that I think about it, the Dust corrupts users even with the shortest skin contact. We don't have the means to handle it safely."

"We could just copy the legend."

"Security won't let any sort of data storage inside- phones, paper, pens, anything."

"I have a good memory."

"Perhaps."

"Look, all I wanna do is go the the Archives and read up on the stories about this Iridescent Dust. If we can find out how to get some, the Ultima Drive becomes a reality."

"I will take you to the Archive, but I'm not going to help you steal anything."

"Cheers."

With that, Kisaragi closed his eyes again, and Tsul stood up. He left the hospital, heading back towards From Dust Till Dawn. It was strange not hearing the sounds of Kisaragi's work in the background, almost as if the shop felt empty without it. Sighing gently, he sat down behind the counter and waited. It wasn't long until someone walked into the shop, looking around before spotting Tsul. The boy walked over, his silver hair a stark contrast with his black uniform.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. I was wondering if you could do something about this."

The boy pulled out a Disc, and from its red colouration Tsul could see it was a Blaze Disc. A hairline crack ran across it.

"My name's Mercury, by the way. I would've tried to fix it myself, but I don't know how."

"It's a good thing you didn't try, because if you try to work on an active Disc, you will do nothing but cause more damage. What you have here, Mercury, is a crack that is ruining the Disc's connection with your weapon. Can I see the slot?"

Mercury reached down, pulling his boot off and showing Tsul the slot in the heel. Tsul shone a light in there before taking a pair of pliers and pulling out a small stone.

"There's you problem. Now, on a normal day, we'd have this done in no time. However, my fabricator is not here, so I'll have to do it myself. It could take about an hour."

"That's fine. I can wait."

Tsul went into the workshop, running the Disc through a deactivator first. He then took measurements of the crack, calculating exactly how much metal he needed to fill it before lighting a crucible. The metal inside melted, and he carefully poured it into the crack and waited for it to cool before taking it to a buffing wheel. Once he cleaned it, he put it into the activator. He emerged from the shop, placing the repaired Disc into a sleeve and placing on the counter.

"That'll be five-hundred Lien, Mercury."

"Of course."

He placed the cash on the display case, and Tsul quickly counted it before taking it.

"Have a good day, Mercury."

Mercury smiled, taking the Disc and leaving the shop. He got ping on his Scroll. He took out the device, seeing Emerald's face on the screen. He answered.

"Yes?"

"New job. Details when you get back."

Shrugging to himself, he pocketed his Scroll and reinserted his Blaze Disc. He began the walk back to Beacon.

-Dorm-

"Took you long enough, Mercury."

"I was in town."

"Whatever. Lieutenants have sent another job for us."

Emerald gestured to the table, where a glass vial and pipette stood. Mercury read the warning labels.

"Deathstalker venom, warning, may cause permanent Aura suppression, Emerald, why do we have this?"

"The Fang caught wind of Blake Belladonna's... Episode. They want us to trigger a permanent change by suppressing her Aura."

"Alright: how?"

"Get this venom inside her."

"Again, how?"

"I don't know. Improvise!"

She thrust the needle and vial into his hands and left the room. Mercury shrugged before ensuring that the needle was capped before sliding it into his pocket along with the vial. He grabbed a bottle of water and made his way to the infirmary. As he walked passed the front desk, he saw Team RWBY's fiery blonde signing out. What was her name? He could not remember.

He walked into the ward, looking for the room that contained Blake. It was not hard to find, since it was the only one with a vacuum chamber inside it. He knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Mercury pushed the door open to find Blake alone. /Excellent./

"Mercury, was it? What are you doing here?"

He threw his hands up in surrender.

"I thought I would pay a visit to the stricken member of the illustrious Team Ruby."

"Illustrious?"

"Your leader skipped two years."

"So?"

"Mountain Glenn?"

"Fair enough."

Mercury took drink from his bottle, and noticed Blake staring at it longingly.

"Oh, did you want something to drink?"

"Yes, please. Normally Ruby's here to help me with things like this, but she has work to do. There's a water cooler outside."

/Perfect./

Stepping out of the room, Mercury located the cooler. He filled a cup and, after checking no-one was watching, emptied the contents of the vial into the cup as well. He walked back into the room.

"You need to help me drink this. Literally just a head at the moment."

Placing one hand behind her head, he lifted her up and brought the water to her lips with the other. She drank without hesitation, at which point Mercury's Scroll got pinged. The cup was no empty, but it didn't matter. Surely she had drank enough.

"Thanks for that Mercury."

"No problem. I've got to go, though."

He stepped out of the room, chuckling. What Blake hadn't seen was him use the needle to puncture the seal of the chamber in several places. He closed the door as a finger tapped him on the shoulder. The blonde was stood there.

"What are you doing?"

"I was visiting Blake."

"Why?"

"To say hello. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really have to go."

As soon as he was out of view, he ran back to his dorm, opening the door and collapsing inside. Cinder stared at him bemusedly.

"Success?"

"Yup."

Back in the infirmary, Yang watched the silver-haired boy go, suspicion in her eyes. The faintest flecks of red hovered on the edge of her irises. She placed her hand on the doorknob and immediately realised something was severely wrong. The handle was hot. She wrenched the door open and saw Blake, her eyes burning blue, alight with pale fire. Stared turned to the door, laughing at Yang with malice in her eyes.

"How unexpected. Someone actually liberated me. Willingly!"

The vacuum chamber was glowing, collapsing under its own weight as it heated up. Blake rose, hovering in the air in terrible glory as the chamber gave way. She lifted he arms, pouring fire into the wall and melting clean through it. Alarms sounded. At that point, Yang struck. She leapt forward, pumping her fists to activate the Ember Celica before punching. Blake staggered in mid-air, the powerful strike pushing her into the corner of the room. Yang leaped onto her, delivering crushing punches to her face in an attempt to knock her out. Blake just laughed and languidly placed a hand on Yang's head and sent a powerful concussive charge through it. Yang fell away, unconscious. The door burst open again, and Weiss and Ruby stood there, the pair paling when they saw Blake. Quickly regaining her composure, Weiss hurled ice and flame at Blake, who simply allowed the ice to melt before hitting her and absorbing the fire. She waved her hand, a glyph of her own forming under Weiss, who jumped out of the way. Blake swept forward, catching her off guard and knocking her across the room. Weiss landed shakily, switching Dust and accelerating. She parried a fireball, dodged an outward kick before jumping an thrusting forward. Blake caught the blade and wrenched it out of her hands, ignoring the cuts on her hands that she gained as a result. As she approached, Ruby stepped in, having difficulty swinging Crescent Rose in the enclosed space. Growling, Blake kicked her in the head and kicked away, flying through the hole in the wall and disappearing into the distance. Ozpin opened the door, scowling when he saw the state of the room. He saw the buckled remains of the vacuum chamber, the steel warped and seal a misshapen puddle on the floor. He saw the paper cup on its side, the material singed and the contents long evaporated. Sighing, he looked out of the window.

"We must find her, before she does something terrible."

-Vacuo-

In the skies above Vacuo, Blake hovered. The Transcendent was enjoying its freedom, momentarily content just to watch the world below. It then scowled and descended, landing in the middle of the town. The amassed humans and Faunus looked at her, fear and confusion on their faces. Blake smirked cruelly.

"Rejoice. Your queen has arrived."

She slammed a fist into the ground, a wall of fire expanding from the point of contact, and the screaming began. Buildings burned, collapsing and trapping the people inside. It wasn't long before ashes filled the air, making it hard to breathe. It did not matter to Blake.

Soon enough, the police arrived, firing at her with ineffectual small-arms and rifles. They knew they were outclassed, the fear evident on their eyes. She walked towards them, letting them keep firing on her until she was right in their faces. Ohe held a gun to the side of her head and Blake grinned as the metal melted and fused to his hand. The officer screamed, and was silenced as Blake incinerated his head.

_Please! Stop this!_

The Transcendent laughed as the mind of the body tried to talk her down. Out of spite, she bit into the neck of the next officer and tore his throat out with her teeth, allowing her flamed to die down so that his blood sprayed across her face and added to her hellish appearance. The rest of the officers were either running or barking into radios, calling for back-up. She made quick work of them, delivering earth-shattering kicks and punches, breaking ribs and cracking skulls. She forced her hand clean through the last one's chest, pulling out their still-beating heart as they watched, horrified, before blood loss killed them. She ripped the heart out, squeezing it and causing it to burst. A whisper breached her mind, and she reeled, staring at the perpetrator.

A huntress stood there, maroon energy looping around her hands. Blake heard the whispers in her mind as the huntress attacked, forcing her to her knees. Blake will her mind to burn, burn hotter than the miserable ball of light that the mortals called the sun, and the effect was immediate. The huntress winced biting down on her lip as she felt the pain of burning. Blake intensified the heat, forcing her out of her head. She walked over to her, slinging fireballs as she did so. The huntress manipulated the energy, blocking the flames but was unable to defend when Blake hurled a beam of fire through her chest at point-blank range, her Aura giving out under the onslaught. Blake looked down on the huntress' shocked face before crushing her head under her foot.

The crackle of flames filled the air, with sirens in the distance. Deciding that she had an adequate distraction, she moved into the air, flying towards the Archive of Legends. A single pulse of flame destroyed the door, and she immediately found herself at gunpoint. These were not bullet guns, but considerably more advanced concussion rifles, usually carried by Atlesian Knights. She looked around, seeing at least a dozen Knights.

"Halt. You are under arrest for property damage."

Blake let forth a pulse of flame, incinerating the circuits of the Knight in front of her. She immediately ducked behind the scanners as concussive blasts rained down on her. She ran into the archive, quickly searching for the right legend.

"Vacuan… Valic… Atlesian… Mistrali!"

She looked for the alphabet markers, searching frantically for the right section. She heard the thuds of mechanical soldiers closing in on her.

"V…V…V…Va…"

A Knight rounded the corner and she punched its head, destroying it before it could attack.

"Ve…Vi…Vo…Vu!"

She found the right section, reading the labels as fast as she could. She found the Legend, taking the whole scroll and blasting a hole in the ceiling. She ascended, leaving the Knights far below.

"Alert- Record stolen. Identify."

"Record identified- Vulkoss."

"Identify felon."

"Identified- Blake Belladonna."

**Again, please review. I really appreciate Constructive Criticism (and people saying they like the story). Until next time.**

**Aura, out.**


	11. Outing

**No Reviews in a while. Are there really no Loopholes or questions to be answered? Never mind. Onwards!**

Beacon was in disarray. There was a hole in a wall, a Team had been crippled and rumours were running rampant. Ozpin had once again been forced to gather the students in the auditorium. Glynda and Felix stood behind him. The former called for order while the other stood with his arms crossed in front of him. Ozpin's hands rested on his cane as always, except now they were gripping it tightly. Silence filled the hall, and the headmaster began to speak.

"We appreciate that the last few days have been quite distressing. Rest assured, we are doing all we can to restore order. With the past few failures, there has been a success- the Stalker was killed a few days ago by Professor Goodwitch, with some help from Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin waited as the cheers and applause died down. "However, even though we know that the Stalker did not have the capacity to reproduce, we will not be continuing missions." Ozpin bowed his head in the onslaught of cries and protests. Glynda called out again, silencing the hall. "We know that you will find this further suspension of missions outrageous, but please understand that there is a very good reason for it."

A voice called out from the crowd, and Ozpin traced it to Cardin Winchester.

"Where is Team RWBY? Or are they the problem?"

He pointed to the empty space where the girls usually stood, and the crowd shouted in agreement. Felix opened his eyes, barking a short rebuke laced with threat. The hall immediately went silent.

"Mr Winchester, while I know we haven't informed you of the developments, do not make misinformed judgements." His voice remained perfectly level, but Cardin dropped his glare.

"Thank you, Mr Crimson. Mr Winchester here is correct, or at least partially. Currently, the RWY of RWBY are in the infirmary, being inspected by the nurses. The other Ms Belladonna..."

Ozpin turned, using his Scroll to project a news report onto the screens. A panicked reporter began talking.

"These images are coming in now. An unidentified figure has landed in Vacuo and started to attack the population." The reporter cut out as grainy footage played, most likely shot via CCTV. It showed an almost-unrecognisable girl attacking with blue flame, goring citizens and police officers alike. Moments after killing a female huntress, she flew off. The footage ended, and the reporter started talking again.

"We're being informed that after this shocking scene, the attacker has attacked the Archives of Legends. We-" she cut off, raising a hand to the microphone in her ear. "We have just got confirmation that the attacker is a Beacon student named Blake Belladonna."

At that point, Ozpin stopped the recording. No-one spoke a word.

"At this time, Blake is unpredictable. We have no idea what she, or rather, the being possessing her, will do. For that reason, and for your safety, missions are suspended."

Ozpin turned, leaving the stage and returning to his office, where he sat nursing a headache. In front of him sat the singed paper cup. He was sure it was involved somehow, since there were no paper cups inside Blake's room. There was no CCTV due to patient confidentiality, as was the situation with the rest of the infirmary. He had no idea what could have caused her sudden and powerful change, other than sabotage. But how? The whole situation made his head hurt. His desk lit up, the three blanked-out faces of the council appearing.

"Ozpin."

He didn't respond, instead taking a sip from his flask.

"Ozpin!"

Levelling his eyes at the screen, he responded.

"Councillor."

"The media state that this attacker is Blake Belladonna. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"And you have done nothing to stop it?"

"Councillor, if you had seen the things she's done, you would understand that conventional means of 'stopping her' are futile."

"Do not play games with us, Ozpin."

"I am not, Councillor. Tell me- what do you do when confronted by a girl with many years of combat training and supernatural powers granted by an extradimensional being? She melts bullets before they hit her, and can attack far more effectively than any hunter or huntress. She capable of flight and can snap necks at the drop of a hat. How do you stop that?"

"The matter does not lie with us, Ozpin. The matter lies with you. Find a solution, or we may have to take... Further measures."

"You can't be serious."

"We are serious. This is a serious situation. There are no more jokes between us. Find a solution."

The transmission ended. Ozpin lowered his head to the desk, allowing the sound of clockwork to fill him. It was simple, mechanical, ordered. Why couldn't life be like clockwork? He knew the answer. It led to stagnancy. Humans didn't like stagnancy. Ozpin sighed. He had to do something. So far all he'd done was gotten stabbed by Blake. He stared at the paper cup. It was involved, he knew it. He picked it up, carrying down to the labs and handing it to one of the techs there.

"I want a full chemical analysis as soon as possible."

The tech hurried off. Half an hour passed, and Ozpin was presented with a single sheet of paper. In the top right corner, there was an image of the cup. The rest of the page was filled with figures.

"Plenty of carbon from the burning. Some traces of various salts, most likely from the people handling the cup as it was used. The most interesting thing was this."

The tech pointed to one line of data. Ozpin read it aloud.

"DSC-02. What is that?"

"Deathstalker Compound 2. Deathstalkers produce one of four types of venom. DSC-01 is capable of permanently suppressing Aura. 02 suppresses Aura and will do so until the blood is cleaned via Dialysis, since the kidneys cannot filter it. 03 temporarily suppresses Aura, the time dependant on the dose. 04 is simply the neurotoxin that's present in 03, minus the suppressive properties."

"If that's DSC-02, then the only way that it got into the cup was through spiking a drink. We have a saboteur inside the walls, someone who wanted to unleash the Transcendent inside Blake. We need to find who it was."

"We would do, but the fingerprints on the cup have been seared beyond recognition. We cannot identify them."

"I figured as much. I will need to try something else."

He walked out of the labs and towards the infirmary.

-Infirmary-

Yang awoke, and her head hurt like hell. She moved her hands to cover her eyes, the bright light of the infirmary serving to worsen her head and her mood. She sighed.

"Hello?"

She heard footsteps approaching, and the curtain was pulled open. A nurse was stood there.

"Ah, Ms Xiao Long. Good to see you're awake. Now, you were concussed pretty badly, so try not to move too much."

There was a glass of water by the bed, and Yang realised how thirsty she was, and sat up. The nurse reached an arm forward to steady her, but Yang pushed it away.

"No, I'm fine, I just need to..."

She trailed off as a wave of nausea hit her, and the nurse pulled a bucket out from the nearest cupboard. As soon as she was close enough, Yang took it off her and promptly vomited bile into it. The nausea passed, and Yang took the water and rinsed her mouth out with it. The nurse took the bucket away, leaving Yang to close her eyes again against the harsh light. She was disturbed again, but this time it was Ozpin stood in front of her bed.

"Can you talk, Yang?"

"Yes... Why?"

Ozpin showed her the cup. Yang gave him a puzzled look.

"This cup was inside Blake's room as she escaped containment. We found traces of Deathstalker Compound 2 inside. This compound of venom temporarily suppresses Aura. We suspect that this caused Blake to change. Now, I need you to remember. There are no cameras here, so we were blind when the poisoning took place. Did you see any suspicious activity before Blake turned?"

Ozpin saw flecks of red appear in Yang's irises.

"I remember. There was a silver haired-boy who was in Blake's room directly before me. I can remember his name, but he was the one who fought Pyrrha. You should ask Professor Goodwitch."

Ozpin pulled out his Scroll, sending the information to Glynda. Seconds later, two words burned on the screen.

"Mercury Black."

Ozpin's expression darkened.

"Thank you for your time."

The headmaster turned,

"Glynda, move to detain Mr Black. I have reason to believe that he poisoned Blake."

Moments later, the pair stood outside his dorm. Glynda had already created two barrier circles to prevent him from running off down the corridor. Glynda moved out of sight as Ozpin knocked on the door. Mercury answered the door, his eyes narrowing as he realised Ozpin was stood in front of him. Ozpin saw a glass vial on the table.

"Mr Black, would you come with us for a while? We have something to discuss."

Mercury immediately spun and kicked Ozpin in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards. As soon as he moved away from the door, a barrier circle appeared there, trapping him in the corridor. Ozpin walked backwards until he moved out of the barriers. At that point, they converged, lifting Mercury off the ground and suspending him in a cube of force. Ozpin stepped into the dorm, lifting the vial off the table. Printed on the side, with clear warning labels, were six characters.

_DSC-02_

Ozpin swept it into a plastic bag and exited the dorm. He led Glynda and the confined Mercury into the nearest lift, scanning his Scroll to gain clearance to the sublevel. The doors opened and Mercury's cube was moved into a cell. The doors closed and the cube disappeared. From the other side of the bulletproof window, Ozpin held up the vial for Mercury to see.

"Mr Black. This is a neurotoxin that we suspect you used to poison Blake Belladonna. Can you elaborate on the situation?"

"I have never seen that vial before in my life."

"I find that hard to believe."

Ozpin lifted the vial out of the bag and threw a fine powder onto the glass. The powder showed fingerprints. One scan later, a match was found on the system, labelled "Black, M".

"Mr Black, your fingerprints are on the vial, and the DSC-02 in the cup we found inside Blake's room after she turned. Please remember that even as a hunter, you conform to the laws of Vale, Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral. Here, fortunately for you, we do not have the death penalty, unlike the other three kingdoms, for I suspect that you will be labelled as the cause of Blake's altered state and therefore directly responsible for the damages she is currently causing. With a court hearing, you're looking at indefinite confinement. With a petition from the other kingdoms, you may become the next victim of Warp Star. I'm sure neither of us want that."

"Say what you want, old man. It wasn't me."

"I'm sure the court would disagree. Alternatively, I could turn you over to the kingdom which Blake attacked, at the current minute that is Vacuo."

Mercury remained silent.

"Mercury, I'm trying to help you."

Silence. Ozpin sighed, pulling out his Scroll.

"Control, please open a line to the Vacuan authorities." Ozpin waited as he was patched through. "My name is Ozpin. Yes. Who's Nova? I see. Well, I need you to send a prison ship. I have the one who released your 'Nova'. Yes. Thank you." The line went dead. Ozpin looked at Mercury. "The situation is out of my hands. You will be subject to Vacuo's laws for your trial."

Mercury was taken up to the landing pad in a force cube generated by Glynda. He was unceremoniously dropped inside a cell and the ship immediately took off once Glynda was clear. They flew over the inter-kingdom wildlands, the western forest flashing by as a blur. From inside his cell, Mercury felt the ship bank as they headed towards Vacuo. A guard watched him intently from outside the cell. Mercury's arms hung in front of him, a pair of handcuffs keeping them close together. Sinking into the corner, he coughed, feeling something shift in his throat. Raising his hands, he coughed into them, his prize ejected from his throat. He dropped his hands again, ensuring that the guard couldn't see them. He squeezed the transmitter, the tiny black ball vibrating slightly. The guard tapped on the cell.

"Hands where I can see them."

Mercury complied, quickly pinning the transmitter between his wrist and his cuffs, before raising his palms to the guard. He nodded curtly, backing up. Mercury turned, taking hold of the transmitter again and tapping out a message as he paced around the cell. He was discreet, the guard failing to notice the tiny twitches his thumb made as he signalled. His message sent, he squeezed it again, before feigning a coughing fit, raising his hands to his mouth and swallowing the transmitter again. He smiled to himself. Cinder now knew where to look to find him.

_The show must go on._

-Vacuo-

Blake was hidden in the sewers of the city, navigating by the blue flames she produced in her hand. In the other hand, she held the scroll. The smell of the tunnels did not bother her. She had other things to worry about. The locals had taken to calling her Nova. It had been so long since she had taken a name, but she liked it. She could taste the fear that came with every vocalisation of that short word.

"Nova."

She spoke it aloud, savouring it, remembering its meaning. A Nova, a collapsing star, brimming with destructive energy. How fitting.

It hadn't been long until wanted posters started appearing in Vacuo, even in the sewers. Judging by the amount of litter, she was apparently not the only person to use the tunnels. She walked over to the poster, lifting her hand and carefully controlling her flames to illuminate it without burning the delicate paper.

It was her student photo from Beacon, rather, it was Blake's. It had been edited, the golden eyes of Blake replaced with the pale blue of Nova.

_Nova. Me. A name._

The word "Wanted" was written in large font at the top of the poster, followed by her picture. It gave information such as "do not engage" and "extremely dangerous". They even had a bounty on her head, a hefty sum of one-hundred thousand Lien. She expected that that number would rise in time. Laughing to herself, she tore down the poster and burned it. Before walking away, she scorched a sigil into the wall. She heard the other Transcendent berate her.

_"When did we become so vain?"_

Nova ignored them.

She realised that she had not heard Blake speak since she had butchered anyone in the main square. She frowned. Searching the ground below her, she located a piece of broken glass. Raising it to her arms, she tried to flare her Aura, blue fire erupting from her limbs. She brought the glass down. It didn't melt, and cut into her flesh. She growled with pain, dropping the glass. She waited for the cut to close itself. Ten minutes later, she realised the bleeding hasn't even slowed. Hissing, she used her fire to cauterise the wound. No Aura, no Blake, no coagulation in her blood. She had been poisoned. But she was free. She was dying. She could feel it. Turning her flames inward, she began to purge her blood, but stopped when she heard Blake whispering in her head. Nova knew that Blake was fully capable of breaking out of her mental prison. Nova had burned enough of the poison to feel like she wasn't dying. She could now hear Blake clearly.

_"Nova? I thought you were above material things like names and sigils."_

"I will not be talked down upon by a girl."

Nova felt a twinge of pain as Blake struggled against her prison. She ignored it, continuing her walk down the sewer. Her night vision had returned, and she extinguished her flames. She soon stopped, taking the scroll out of its metal casing and unrolling it. The ancient page was yellowed with age, the ink barely legible, but Nova had lived for centuries. Her Transcendent mind translated the Ancient Mistrali characters. But, before she could read the document, her Faunus ears picked up voices, close by. They were coming from deeper in the tunnels. Quickly rolling the page up and closing the casing, she searched out the source. She followed the tunnels down beneath Vacuo. She could soon hear the voices clearly.

"I bet if we went now, she'd never find us."

"Vacuo hasn't been completely destroyed, only part of the centre. Stop treating it like the end of the world!"

"Yeah, well it's good to be prepared. We have food for days down here!"

"Heh, whatever."

Nova traced the voices to behind a door. She prepared her flames, and lifted the catch. As she kicked the door open, the two girls inside whirled. One had horns and the other a cat's tail. Their eyes went wide as they realised who was lighting up the room with a blue glow.

"Hello girls. I have a few questions."

-RWBY Dorm-

For the first time in a considerable length of time, the stable members of Team RWBY were gathered. None of them were crying, but none of them were happy. Grief hung heavy in the room, leaving an uncomfortable pressure over them. Yang had been discharged and prescribed tablets to aid her recovery. Weiss sat very close to Yang, almost leaning against the taller girl, soaking up the heat that Yang's anger radiated. Ruby sat on Yang's right, her arms wrapped around her sister. Yang grew tired of the silence and decided to try a conversation.

"Guys... We can get Blake back... We will get Blake back. All we have to do is find her, then Ruby can do what she did before."

Weiss chipped in.

"Of course. Ruby, we're your Team, well, most of it anyway. If anyone can get through to her, it's us."

Ruby sobbed audibly, and Yang wrapped both arms around her. Weiss pouted at the sudden loss of heat.

"Ruby. Hey, Rubes, come on. Blake isn't gone forever. We'll get her back. We just need to find her."

"That shouldn't be too difficult. She's been raising hell in Vacuo, having robbed the Archives."

"Vacuo's a big place. She could be anywhere there. As far as we know, she's not left yet, unless she went into the Wildlands."

Ruby spoke up.

"Blake's smarter than that. She won't have left. We need to search Vacuo as soon as possible. Before... Before she attacks another kingdom."

The room lapsed into silence again. A knock at the door caught their attention. Ruby pushed herself to her feet, quickly wiping the tears from her face before pulling the door open. She was met with a surprise hug from Nora. How she was above the door was beyond Ruby.

"Ruuuuubyyyyyy! We have a mission!"

Ruby's eyes went wide.

"A mission? I thought they were suspended."

Nora leaned in, feigning secrecy.

"They are. Ozpin said that we could go into the Emerald Forest on a super-duper-secret mission to clear out the Grimm near the walls."

"That's great, Nora. When do you ship out?"

"Midnight."

"Well, good luck then."

At that point, Nora detached from the ceiling and pushed Ruby into her dorm, much to the surprise of Weiss and Yang. Nora closed the door, rubbing her hands in glee. She spoke in a whisper.

"You're coming too! All seven of us are going with Professor Oobleck!"

Weiss stood up.

"Going with Oobleck where?"

Nora turned to the heiress.

"The Emerald Forest! We have a mission!"

Yang grinned, standing and cracking her fingers.

"I was just getting comfy too..."

Weiss blushed. Nora continued before Ruby could ask.

"Midnight, Landing Pad 2. We're going by Wyvern!"

"It's just the same as a Bullhead, Nora."

"Not when it used to belong to the White Fang!"

Ruby didn't bother asking, opting to usher the excited girl out of the room.

"Alright, midnight. Landing Pad 2. Thanks Nora."

Nora giggled, heading back into her own dorm. Ruby closed her own door, stretching. She walked over to her wardrobe, pulling out her combat gear. Seconds later, she was changed.

"Alright. We have six hours to kill. What now?"

The hours passed by slowly, the almost-Team RWBY passing the time with card games and conversation. Curfew was called at eleven, the electronic locks slipping into place on the doors. Half an hour later, Ruby received a message from Ozpin, a long stream of numbers flashing across the screen. Attached was a short message.

_Skeleton Key_

_-O_

Motioning for Weiss and Yang to follow, Ruby dropped from her bed, placing Crescent Rose on the clips on her back. Weiss attached Myrtenaster to her side, and Yang checked her ammunition. Ruby waved her Scroll in front of the scanner, the faint light turning green and opening the door. The trio left, Ruby ensuring that the door didn't slam. At the same time, Team JNPR's door opened. Jaune stuck his head out first, waving at Ruby. She smiled and waved back. Nora walked out next, silently screaming with excitement. She was followed by Ren, who was as stoic as ever. Pyrrha came last, stopping the door from slamming. The seven headed out of the bunkhouses, crossing the campus while staying out of sight of the security guards. Ruby realised that the sensors must be offline, otherwise they would have been spotted by now. She cast a glance to the tower, mentally thanking Ozpin. It wasn't long before the group stood beside the second Landing Pad. Another message arrived on her Scroll.

She frowned and showed it to the rest of the group. She was met with puzzled looks, but Ren stepped up to the door of the Wyvern, knocking a rhythm into it. He stood back as the door opened, Oobleck motioning for them to get in. The door closed again, and Oobleck was immediately talking.

"Very good we're all here and only one minute behind schedule. Now then, Tsul, take off, I will brief you in the air."

The low whine of the engines increased in volume, the aircraft listing as the Wyvern took flight.

"Essentially what we're doing on this night op is clearing out a cave full of Grimm.

I have all the necessary lighting we'll need for each Hunter or Huntress. You will be split into groups in order to cover more of the caverns at once and also to increase the chances of us getting back before dawn. What I will be doing at the same time will be looking for more evidence as to why Mountain Glenn failed as much as it did, as well as evidence of pre-kingdom civilisations. Two birds, one stone." His voice dropped a pitch, and he spoke directly to Ruby, Yang and Weiss. "Ozpin has decided that taking on a mission will help take your minds off current events. Therefore, we're on this joint mission. We're here for you, RWBY."

The Wyvern listed again, and the seven heard a wet-sounding noise. Oobleck just smiled.

"Do not worry, that is merely the active camouflage deactivating. We have arrived."

The door opened, and the midnight air rushed in.

"Alright Teams, this is where we get off. Remember- for this mission, we will be underground. Do NOT get split up from your group."

**Alright, again, Review with all of your questions, or let me know what you think so far.**

**Aura, out.**


	12. Discovery

-Dorm-

"Cinder? I got a message from Mercury."

"And?"

"He's headed for Vacuo on a prison ship."

Cinder rolled her eyes.

"What did he do?"

"He was caught with the DSC-02. Yang Xiao Long also witnessed him leaving Blake's room directly before he turned."

"And?"

"He wants us to bust him out."

"Hmmm... No."

"Cinder?"

"He was sloppy. We have no margin for error, and clumsiness will get us caught, as it got him caught. He must know the punishment for mistakes. That is a lesson that teaches itself."

-Wyvern-

As Tsul navigated the recently-procured Wyvern through the skies of Vale, he wondered how his life had gotten to the point it had. He had begun as a simple trader, selling rice and other Mistrali specialties to the western kingdoms for very little money. As time wore on, Tsul had built himself a nest egg, and planned to buy a ticket on the next airship to Atlas when he met Kisaragi. The man had an insatiable desire to forge, cast and hammer, to make anything from something. And that was what Tsul liked about him. So instead of flying to Atlas, he bought Kisaragi some steel and approached with a business venture. They hadn't expected to make much, taking commissions from those who couldn't find what they were looking for, but were soon surprised to discover that they made a hefty profit. They were able to buy more materials, and at the age of 16, buy an old shop to set up as their own. By the time Kisaragi was 17, he had made a belt sander and screw press. Tsul had set up a business front, and the pair sold metallic goods. When Kisaragi had set up a sand casting forge, Tsul had leapt to the opportunity and infused Dust with steel to make his own Disc. Realising their potential for high-quality homemade Discs, they had bought more steel and Dust, fusing the materials in different ratios to create different Discs. They soon made huge amounts of money and were able to buy more machines. Tsul found out that he was particularly good at jewellery, and made his weapon by mounting a flawless crystal onto a gold base and setting up a switch system. Several weeks later, he had fine-tuned it and created a second.

Their cycle of profit and buying machines continued until Kisaragi got bored. He said he wanted a change of scenery, so using the money they had, they prepared to cross the Mistral Strait and cross Vytal's Eastern Forest. They could have gone by airship, but they had spent enough money transporting the machines. Instead, Kisaragi created his weapon, the pair prepared for their expedition, and they set off, walking for weeks. They crossed the Mistral Strait by boat, paying a small fair as they did so. By the time they reached the walls of Vale, they were set to crash. With the help of Felix, they had got inside the walls and set up with the owner of From Dust Till Dawn. From there, business slowly rose.

When Kisaragi had been taken by the White Fang, Tsul had retaliated quickly. With the help of Felix, he had rescued Kisaragi, captured five White Fang zealots, and stolen a Wyvern. As soon as they had landed back in Beacon, Felix had taken Tsul to a flight simulator and put him forward as a pilot. Several days later, he was back in the Wyvern, carrying eight individuals out on a night op.

_How life surprises thee._

His display flashed, and he pulled to a stop, descending to allow the Hunters and Huntresses to jump. Oobleck stuck his head through the door.

"Tsul, put the Wyvern down in that clearing over there. Wait for us to return."

Tsul nodded, waiting for the Professor to jump from th Wyvern. As he heard the door close, he pressed forward, directing the craft into the nearest clearing large enough to contain it. He opened the landing gear, setting the Wyvern down. He let out a sigh as the engines died, thinking to his past again.

_How life surprises thee._

Seven Hunters and Huntresses landed in the forest, weapons drawn. They quickly formed a circle, scanning every direction for any sign of danger. Oobleck landed in the middle of them, his thermos extended, a jet of flame providing a little light in the darkness. Oobleck slipped his bag off his shoulders and opened it. He handed out pairs of night vision goggles.

"Each of you will be wearing a pair of these goggles. If you create any light in the caves, the Grimm will know. Yang, try to limit your Semblance as much as possible. Weiss, no light-creating glyphs. Try to stick to close combat as much as possible for the noise of your firearms will attract more Grimm."

He waited for each Hunter to place their goggles on their head. Tiny green lights swam in front of him until Oobleck put his on, revealing the wearers.

"Alright Teams, the caverns are this way!"

He extinguished his flame and led them through the dark forest. He strode ahead confidently, as if there was no danger in the forest. Behind him, the Hunters constantly turned their heads, looking for any sign of Grimm. Directly behind Oobleck were Yang and Weiss, who looked to the left and right of Oobleck's field of view. Behind them was Ruby, alternating between looking left and right. Nora and Ren were next, looking towards the back of the group, where Jaune and Pyrrha frequently turned around to cover the rear, shields raised and swords poised.

Howls could be heard in the distance, the Beowolf population fighting amongst themselves. Fighting for what was uncertain, but there was no mistaking the bowls of pain that echoed in the forest. An aggressive snarl emanated from the bushes and in an instant, Ren was there, slashing at the source- a Beowolf. One well-aimed swipe from StormFlower dispatched the creature, its misty ichor leaking from the slit in its neck. It managed a pathetic whine before it pitched forward, slowly evaporating. Ren returned to the group, brushing himself off.

For the next half-hour, there were no further scuffles. The group reached a clearing, and Oobleck held up a hand to stop them. He pulled a map out and unrolled it.

"This is where we are now." He pointed to a clearing on the map. "The cave entrance is somewhere in this area. It's not marked on the map, since it has only opened recently, most likely following the Breach incident." The group shivered, remembering the destruction that Roman Torchwick's attack had wrought. "However, scouts report that the Grimm have been emerging from nowhere in this area, so split off and begin searching. Meet here in ten minutes if we find nothing."

Taking a small stake out of his pack, he stuck it in the ground and flicked a switch. Steady flashing emanated from the tip. Ruby lifted her goggles, yet saw no light. Oobleck saw this and smiled.

"Infrared light. It can't be seen without proper equipment. Ruby, you come with me."

Ruby walked over to the Professor while Weiss and Yang moved into the clearing, searching for weaknesses in the ground. Ren and Nora circled around the edge and did the same. Jaune and Pyrrha searched beyond the clearing, navigating around the trees of the forest. Ruby and Oobleck headed back the way they came.

"Ruby. What is your relationship with Blake?"

He heard her breathe in sharply. He frowned.

"We're close."

His expression softened.

"I see. This must be very difficult for you then."

"Yeah."

Sensing that he was not going to get any more information out of her, he bent down, dragging his hands across the roots of a huge tree. There were deep furrows in the wood. He leaned forward, smelling the gaps between the roots and recoiling slightly. The ground shook slightly, and Oobleck pulled Ruby away from the tree as the roots lifted, swinging upwards on hidden hinges. The pair backed away as a Creep emerged, sniffing the air. It ran into the woods, directly past Ruby, who simply swung her scythe into its path. The Creep dissolved at its head rolled across the ground. Oobleck watched as the roots replaced themselves.

"We may have found out entrance."

Several minutes later, the group had amassed at the beacon. Oobleck picked it out of the ground and returned it to his bag. He motioned for the group to follow. He took them to the roots of the tree.

"These roots are attached to hinges. We need to find how to open it." He turned to Weiss. "Can you tell if there are glyphs being used?"

The heiress smirked in the darkness and weaved a glyph of her own. She directed the light it produced across the ground, and pointed to the glowing ring there. She sent a quick pulse of energy into it, and the roots opened.

"Very good. A hidden entrance masked by nature and triggered by glyphs. Why they only respond to Grimm and other glyphs is beyond me. Be wary, we will not be able to call for back-up in there."

He stepped into the hole, tucking his arms in and sliding into the cave. The rest of the group followed suit, venturing inside one at a time as Jaune and Pyrrha stood guard. Jaune went before Pyrrha, who cast one final glare around the woods before following. The woods closed like claws above her, the keystone glyph fading from view.

-Wyvern-

Tsul sighed as the tracking beacon Oobleck carried vanished from his map. He dragged a marker to where it disappeared as a reminder that the cave entrance was there. He leaned back in his seat. He was racking his brains trying to think if a name for the Wyvern, since they could not just refer to it as 'The Wyvern' forever.

_Mjolnir? No, not fitting. The Dagger? Too generic. Hurricane? Cyclone? No..._

He was snapped out his brainstorming by an alert on his console. He tapped the screen, pulling up a visual feed. Outside, a Beowolf was sniffing the hull of the Wyvern. He went to automise the door gun before stopping. He would need to open the door for that, and it would be too loud. Grumbling beneath his breath, he stepped into the hold. On the ceiling, there was an emergency exit. He climbed up to it, and opened it as quietly as possible, the hinges not even squeaking.

_The mechs really know how to maintain a vehicle._

He lay flat against the roof of the Wyvern, and deployed his foci, the triggers linking themselves around his hands. He gathered shadows in his right hand and pulled himself forward on his left, peering over the edge. He could just see the white faceplate of the Beowolf in the darkness. Leaning over the edge, he extended a single finger, and a javelin of shadows erupted from his hand and shattered its faceplate. It gurgled on its own blood before falling over, lifeless. Releasing the breath he had been holding, Tsul slithered back into the Wyvern, closing the emergency exit behind him and dropping to the floor. He sat back in his pilot's seat, allowing the Twilight Focus to retract. He opened a line to Ozpin.

"Professor, they've gone underground now. I've lost their signal."

"Hmm. It's up to them now. All we can do is wait."

Tsul didn't say anything in return. He just sat there, still thinking about a name.

"How have those simulations taught you?"

"Very well. They're just like this. Very realistic."

"We take pride in our technology."

Silence. Then Tsul spoke again.

"Has there been any news on Blake?"

"Two Faunus have been found in Vacuo, burned beyond recognition. There was a sigil branded on their backs. It would appear our Transcendent friend has become quite vain."

"That will make finding her easier."

"I recently turned over Mercury Black over to the Vacuan authorities. I believe he poisoned Blake to trigger a Transcendent takeover."

"That bastard."

"I feel guilty. If I know what Vacuan trials are like, I believe he'll be put to death by Warp Star."

"Good."

"Tsul, do you know what Warp Star is?"

"No."

"Warp Star was the result of Atlesian experimentation. They created something so powerful that the lead scientists were quick to administer amnestics to all involved and wipe their systems. They stopped all weapons tests and set it up as an execution weapon."

"What could be so terrible that the creators would seek to forget?"

"I don't know. But whenever an execution is televised to appease crowds, there is light, and nothing remains of the executed. Literally nothing, like they were taken out of existence. Even the air in the chamber vanishes."

"How do you know this?"

"I've watched two Warp Star executions. And, since no-one knows how it was created, and no-one has the authority to dismantle it, Amnestics seems to be the only option."

"Hmm."

Tsul closed the line, letting out a deep breath. He suddenly leaned forward.

_Perfect! The Fiend._

-Vacuo, Six Hours Earlier-

Mercury felt the glass chamber in which he was sat shift upwards. Light streamed in from above, blinding him as he ascended. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a courtroom. Behind him sat the judge and two magistrates. In front of him sat a Jury of thirteen, staring at him with open hatred behind masks.

_Magistrates _and_ a Jury? Of thirteen?_

"The prosecution of Mercury Black will begin now. Prosecution, please."

The magistrate to the right of the judge stood.

"Mercury Black has been convicted of poisoning Blake Belladonna and triggering her possession by the one now known as Nova."

"Prosecution, please present your evidence."

The magistrate tapped at a Scroll, and an image of the cup was projected, along with Mercury's fingerprints.

"As you can see, Mr. Black's fingerprints are on this cup." The images merged, showing that the prints did match. "As well as this, Headmaster Ozpin provided a chemical analysis. This analysis showed that Deathstalker Compound 2 was present in the cup. DSC-02 can suppress Aura, which is believed to have caused Nova to take over. Therefore, this makes Mr. Black directly responsible for the deaths of several hundred people and several hundred thousand Lien's worth of property damage."

"Thank you, prosecution. Defence, please put forth your case."

The prosecution sat down as the defence magistrate stood.

"There is no evidence that Nova emerged as a result of poisoning."

"And?"

"Even if Mr. Black poisoned Blake, it's an unfortunate coincidence that caused Nova to take over."

"Anything else?"

"The defence rests."

"Very well. Jury, please vote Guilty, or Not Guilty."

Each member of the Jury stood, moving to the front of the courtroom, directly in front of Mercury. He regarded them calmly. Each one glared at him as they pressed a button on a module that he could not see. They returned to their seats.

"Result."

The screen presented the results of voting. Eleven for Guilty.

"Guilty has a majority vote. Therefore, they must decide on a punishment."

Inside his prison, Mercury rolled his eyes. Clearly, unanimousness was not necessary here. One Jury member stood.

"Lifetime imprisonment in a maximum security prison."

They got several murmurs of agreement in return. Another one, clearly a woman despite the mask, stood up and argued.

"I disagree! He's responsible for the deaths of hundreds! He deserves death!"

"Hang him!"

"Lethal injection!"

"Warp Star."

It was spoken quietly, but the Jury immediately went silent. The member who spoke stood up.

"Warp Star. This evil boy will pay."

The judge leaned forwards.

"Do you fully understand what you are consigning him to?"

"No. But I do not care."

"Do you understand that his blood will be one your hands, as a Jury?"

The Jury mumbled in agreement.

"Vote."

The line formed again, and moments later the results were on-screen. Unanimous for Warp Star.

"The court has decided. Mercury Black will be put to death by Warp Star, tomorrow. Adjourned."

With a single strike from the hammer, the Jury stood and left. Mercury watched them leave as his prison sunk back into the ground.

_Warp Star. How drastic._

-Valic Caverns-

Eight green lights wavered in the darkness. The eight Hunters that wore them were heading into the depths of the earth, none of them knowing what to expect in the caverns. Oobleck was leading them, thermos drawn. Not all of the seven had their weapons drawn. Crescent Rose was too large to be used in the narrow cave, as was Maghnild. Weiss would be limited to stabs with Myrtenaster, and Jaune and Pyrrha were in a similar situation. Pyrrha had an additional problem with Akouo. It was too wide to be slung on her back, so she had to carry it, frequently switching her grip to get it through the cave's narrow points and corners. The only Hunters with no restrictions were Ren and Yang, whose weapons were small enough to be swung effectively in the cave. Ruby and Nora had been given short knives in place of their normal weapons, and Nora did not look happy. She constantly held it up, searching 'for where the explosions come out'.

Oobleck came to a halt as the cave opened out into a large chamber. Four paths lay before them. Oobleck went to each one, peering into the unknown.

"Alright. We will split up here. Each of you will go with someone with an effective weapon. Ruby, you go with Yang and take the tunnel on the far left. Nora, with Pyrrha in the next. Ren with Jaune down the third, and Weiss, you will come with me into the far right tunnel."

Oobleck stuck a beacon in the ground, and the group paired off, heading into their assigned tunnels.

"Two hours. If we find nothing, we come back here."

-Ren and Jaune-

The two Hunters walked into their assigned tunnel. Their night vision goggles picked out veins of glittering crystal in the walls and ceiling. Jaune reached out to touch a large crystal, before wrapping his hands around it and pulling it out of the wall. He felt the energy inside it.

"It's Dust! All of it... There's so much!"

"We must be careful. We don't know what colour it is. If it's red, we could detonate it if we're not careful."

Nodding, Jaune placed the crystal on the ground and carried on walking, sword drawn. His shield lay collapsed at his hip, an advantage that Pyrrha did not have.

_I knew that the Shield-Sheath would come in handy._

Ren watched his Team leader pick his way around the Dust veins. He smiled, seeing the concentration on his face as he studiously avoided standing on or touching any of the Dust. Ren took a crystal from the ground and pocketed it. He would find out what it was later.

He followed Jaune for ten minutes, and they emerged into a large chamber. The veins of Dust converged on a single point, where a single, huge crystal lay. He could see no paths out of the chamber.

"Great. A dead end."

"Jaune, don't go any closer."

Immediately, the blonde stopped. He heard the concern in Ren's voice. A Creep dropped from the ceiling, and Ren delivered several quick slashes to it, ending it. Jaune deployed his shield, blocking a bite from the Creep that dropped from above. Several more dropped, ten in total. Ren swung, but the Creep butted forward and staggered him. Another wrenched his pistol out of his left hand. Ren pocketed the other, entering a Martial Arts stance. He threw the first Creep that charged him, a pink flash lighting the chamber as his Aura lanced into it, destroying its innards. Jaune battered one aside and followed with a downward slash, splitting its skull. He inverted his grip on his sword and thrust backwards, skewering another. Pyrrha's lessons were paying off. He struck another, killing it, but two Creeps charged him at the same time. He was hit from behind, and the second Creep bit down on his sword, disarming him. He threw his hand forward, his white Aura bursting forth and evaporating the Creep. Ren finished off the Grimm around him and leapt on top of the final Creep as Jaune recovered his sword. He charged and stabbed the base of its skull and lifted, destroying its head. It dissolved moments later. Ren searched for his fallen pistol while Jaune doubled over, sucking in air. He leaned on the crystal in the centre of the room, and immediately bolted upright. The crystal began to glow.

"Ren! I can't move!"

Ren turned, removing his goggles to see properly. The chamber was awash with a white glow. He pulled the smaller crystal out of his pocket; it too was white.

"I'll wait with you."

-Nora and Pyrrha-

Pyrrha left Akoúo next to the beacon before walking into the tunnel that she and Nora had been assigned. The the excitable girl followed her, brandishing her knife, pouting at its unassuming weight. Pyrrha immediately noticed the veins of Dust in the walls. She pointed them out to Nora, who scraped some off the wall with her knife and tasted it. Pyrrha stifled a laugh.

"Nora?! Why are you eating the Dust?"

"Hungry."

"You can't eat Dust!"

"Don't caaaaaaare."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. She was used to the girl's antics by now. The pair headed deeper, soon reaching a large chamber. Nora immediately spotted the huge crystal in the centre, skipping over and placing both hands against it. A glow filled the room, and Nora frowned.

"Stuck!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

Pyrrha watched Nora struggle, and took her word for it. She chose not to approach any further. Instead, she took the goggles from her head, allowing herself to see the violet glow in the room. She took out her spear and stood watch. A growl from above caused her to look up. She shot at the source, and a Creep fell to the ground. She heard more growls, and she prepared herself to fight.

-Ruby and Yang-

"C'mon, sis!"

Yang almost dragged Ruby into the tunnel, not caring for the Dust lining the walls. She enjoyed the simple things in life: her bike, going to clubs, her sister, and punching things. The only place Dust came in was her shells, of which she had plenty.

Ruby was less enthusiastic. Crescent Rose lay on the small of her back, too big to unfurl in the limited space of the cave. She managed to prise herself from Yang's grip, walking just behind her older sister. She dragged a finger along the Dust veins, wondering how much there was in the caves.

_Crescent Rose does need some more Dust cartridges..._

Yang was almost jogging, itching with enthusiasm for a fight. She smiled when she saw a Creep enter the tunnel. She primed Ember Celica and punched, sending the Creep down the tunnel and into a large chamber. She ran after it, pounding its chest and crushing its insides. Ruby emerged, deploying Crescent Rose as she entered the chamber. She looked up, boosting herself with a downward shot and swinging at the Creeps burrowing out of the ceiling, killing them before they got a chance to attack. She fell soon after, landing on the crystal in to room and immediately froze.

"Yang! Help!"

"Ruby?"

Yang watched as a Creep dropped from the ceiling. Eyes flooding red, she leapt upwards and tackled it, delivering a crushing punch to its face.

"You okay Rubes?"

"I can't move!"

"Are you hurt?"

Yang went to climb the crystal, but froze as she touched it. Ruby was freed, and she fell to the ground.

"What the hell?"

Yang tried to yank her hand away, but was unable to. Ruby placed a hand on the crystal and was frozen in Yang's place. Her sister was freed.

"Okay, this is weird."

-Oobleck and Weiss-

"Professor-"

"Doctor."

"Doctor, there's Dust in the walls here."

"Very observant of you Weiss, but it bears no significance to our objective."

The pair walked in silence. Weiss took some Dust from the wall and felt it in her hand.

"Blue Dust."

"How can you tell?"

"I just... Can. Probably because I can use glyphs, and Myrtenaster uses Blue to create ice."

"Interesting."

Silence. They soon reached a chamber, and Oobleck dropped his pack, running over to the crystal.

"Dust Source! Amazing!" He looked to the ground seeing the web of Dust veins expanding from the crystal. "It generates a self-replenishing field of Dust! Why the potential here is gargantuan!" While Oobleck took an infrared camera out of his bag, Weiss walked over to the crystal. She reached out, and Oobleck called to stop her.

"Young lady! It is unwise to just-"

Weiss froze as her hand touched the crystal. The cave shook as she tried to move her hand away. Oobleck looked around, mouth wide open.

"Oh my... How could I forget... How could I forget?!"

"Forget what?"

"Dust Sources do not take well to intruders! It's like they're alive. They try to stop anyone from removing them. Touching one will root a person to it. Look below you Weiss, there are skeletons around this crystal." The cave shook again, chunks of rock falling from the ceiling. "This resonance is abnormal. We shouldn't get reactions like this unless there was more than one Source!" The wall to their left crumbled, revealing a second Source. Ren and Jaune looked around. The next wall crumbled, and Ren ran through the hole to aid Pyrrha in dispatching the remaining Creeps. Yang burst through the final wall, a red glow erupting from the final source.

"Professor! What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know! There's a reaction taking place! Each crystal is channelling the Aura of the Hunter touching it!"

The webs of Dust around each crystal retracted as beams of energy burst from each crystal, converging on a section of the wall. The cave wall immediately smoothed over, taking on a more artificial appearance. Lines appeared in the shape of a door, glowing with power. The beams abruptly cut off, and the caverns went silent. The four attached to the crystals suddenly fell backwards, free to move again. Oobleck stared at the door in awe, pulling off his goggles. Those of the seven still wearing goggles followed suit.

"This is a major discovery... This is brilliant! Beautiful!"

"Professor! _What_ exactly is beautiful?"

"This is a door. A door that was hidden so well, that it required four Sources to reveal, as well as the Auras of four Hunters. If this is what I think it is, then we have made an unparalleled discovery."

He placed a hand on the door, running his hands over the glowing lines.

"Ruby, Nora, Jaune, Weiss, come here, place your hands on the door."

They did as instructed, and as the final person laid hands on it, it slid open, gliding on rocky hinges as if it didn't weigh any more than paper. Oobleck stepped into the light that poured from the open door, mumbling under his breath. The seven followed, trying to keep up with is frantic pace. A second door stood before them, a large symbol cut into it; a large circle with a single rune glowing in the middle.

"Oh... It can't be... But it is..." Oobleck turned, addressing the group. "We have found one of the Crystal Cities of the Créshin!"


	13. The Crystal City

**To answer the review left by ****mkjhgfdeertf: There are exactly two lines at the moment: Stuff in Vale, and Nova in Vacuo. There was a brief flashback to Tsul's past in the last chapter, as well as a brief… scene-change to Mercury's trial in Vacuo. And if this doesn't clear things up, it's about to get much more linear. The ****Créshin are not crucial to the plot and will not feature in further chapters- it is simply a name whose meaning you'll discover.**

**Onwards!**

"Yes... A Crystal City... Teams! This is something we must investigate. There is no sense in leaving now. Come on! We must explore, we must map. We do not have the provisions to stay for more than a day."

Oobleck began to walk into the city.

"Professor!"

Oobleck turned, facing Pyrrha.

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm going to go and get my shield."

"Very well. Take Ms. Valkyrie with you, and don't get spilt up. Remember: we don't know what's down here."

The two girls quickly ran back out through the door, back into the rocky walls of the cave.

The remaining five were speechless. They stared out over the city, taking in the view. The pathways were constructed from crystallised Dust, and they could feel the power that it held as they walked over it. They could hear it calling to them, tugging on their Aura. Only Oobleck seemed unaffected, far too enthralled with the rest of the city.

"Professor, what are the Créshin?"

"The Créshin were a huge order of individuals who were adept in Dust manipulation. They were led by an Arch Witch and her partner at any given time. They came about in the ancient times, but were forced away from civilisation through fear of their ability. The early rulers of the kingdoms were afraid of them since they held the power and skill needed to turn an entire kingdom into crystal." He waved an arm around, looking at the buildings. "The Créshin travelled, trading when necessary. However, they soon realised that they were actively being hunted by death squads who sought to end them and their supposed threat to the kingdoms. At that point, they vanished. Only legends persist now, about their skill with Dust. But, the symbol on the door, and this crystal city... There is no way that this didn't belong to the Créshin!"

He headed deeper into the city. The five looked between themselves, shrugging before following after the professor. Pyrrha and Nora rejoined the group as they tailed Oobleck. He was still muttering under his breath, touching the walls of the buildings he passed. In the centre of the city, he stood before a large hall.

"Yes... The central hall. The hub of the city..."

He went to the door and tried to force it open. The stone remained unmoved.

"Locked... Locked... Weiss! Can you sense any for glyphs?"

Seconds later, Weiss directed a light at the door, and a glyph on it glowed in return. She sent a pulse of energy through it to activate it. The door slid open, and Oobleck was quick to enter.

The inside of the hall was a wreck. Cracks ran through the floor, and what could have been furniture lay shattered and strewn all over the large room. Several animal pelts were torn up was well. A large hole lay in the centre of the room. Oobleck peered into it, constantly taking photos. Seeing no safe way to reach the chamber far below, he turned to the seven.

"Alright Teams, feel free to explore the rest of the hall and the surrounding buildings. Do not go any further than that, and do not leave the city. Keep in groups of at least two. We meet up here in one hour. Understand?"

A chorus of "Yes, professor" rumbled from the group, and Oobleck turned his attention to the hall. He began to search the room, looking for more doors hidden amongst the wreckage. He soon found a shattered frame, the crystal door nothing more than shards littering a staircase behind the frame. Carefully stepping over the pointed shards, he descended into the building. Several sections of the stairs were coated in dust; unlike Nature's Wrath, this dust did not gleam. Running his fingers through it, Oobleck plucked a shard of bone from one of the larger piles. He quickly placed it in a bag before wiping his hands on his coat.

He soon reached the bottoms of the stairs and saw another shattered door. He stepped into the chamber behind, wincing as he saw small piles of dust dotted around the room. A book lay face-down in one of the piles. Carefully lifting it, Oobleck blew the dust off the pages and began to read. As he read, he dashed around the room with a mounting sense of dread, noting the measuring equipment, the containers, the crucibles and flame pits. He searched the piles of dust, kicking the powder away, hearing ancient bones crack with each kick. He flicked to the final pages, where the writing suddenly cut off and the page was stained with red.

"Oh no... No..."

He dropped the book, the tome kicking up clouds of dust as it hit the floor. Oobleck approached the centre of the room, and wiped the dust away from the floor. A curved line stared back at him. He moved faster, clearing the dust away with rapid swipes of his arms.

"No, no, no, no..."

As he worked, a large stone slab came into view, with arcane circles and runes carved into it. Half of a skeleton lay near the centre, its spine severed directly through one of the vertebrae. Oobleck stepped back, observing the scene. It all made sense.

"This... This is... Oh dear..."

Oobleck backed out of the room, sprinting up the stairs. He dived out of the door, back into the hall. Ren and Nora looked at him oddly.

"Professor?"

"This is where it began. This is where the Pale Void was first opened. It has to be. I found a book down there, a journal of events. From what I can decipher, the city was under attack from the Grimm. The Créshin tried everything to escape. The Dust experimentation that took place here ripped a hole in space, and that five warriors went through. The portal closed, and one of the warriors tried to get back through, but was cut in half. After that, the words cut off suddenly. My guess is at that point the Grimm broke through and killed the writer."

"So... What do we do?"

"We know that the Grimm have no need for food. The door was sealed. We should leave, because the most likely scenario is that the Grimm are still here."

Elsewhere, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss and Yang were discussing where to go next. They had explored the buildings adjacent to the hall, and had found nothing, just shattered crystal and piles of dust.

They almost passed another building before Weiss caught the attention of the group.

"This one's sealed with a glyph. Should I crack I open?"

"Go for it, princess."

"Stop calling me that."

Weiss located the glyph and activated it, the door materialising on the flat plane of crystal. She tried to pull it open, but found it stuck fast. Yang walked up, straining to pull the door open as well. The pair eventually managed to force it ajar, and heard a rush of air. After that, the door swung open.

"Looks like there was no air in here for quite a while."

Weiss drew Myrtenaster and stepped into the building, Yang rachetting Ember Celica before following. She turned to Ruby.

"You coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna go with Jaune and Pyrrha."

"Suit yourself."

She hugged her younger sister before catching up to Weiss.

"So... Any idea what this place was?"

The room they were stood in was quite small with just four undecorated walls and staircase in the corner. What may have been a desk lay in ruins in front of it, nothing more than a jagged stump. Weiss crossed the room, constantly turning her head, searching for trap glyphs and other hazards. Yang watched her descend the first few steps before Weiss beckoned her, and she followed, the crystal crunching underfoot. At the bottom of the staircase stood another door, heavily scratched but otherwise intact: Weiss unlocked it and braced a shoulder against it. She pushed, and was surprised when the entire wall shifted down the corridor. Yang helped push the block away, revealing another room. Weiss gasped, pushing past her to get inside. Yang followed, mouth going wide as she realised what the room was.

"It's Dust... It's tons and tons of Dust..."

Weiss reached out to a crystal cube and slid the lid off. Inside was red Dust. She pulled another cube from a different part of the room, looking inside. Blue.

"My guess... My guess is that this was a Dust vault."

Around the edge of the vault, the cubes were stacked in orderly piles. Weiss opened a cube from each pile, taking notes on her Scroll about what type it was. While the heiress fawned over the Dust, Yang moved to the three pedestals at the centre of the room. A cube stood on each pedestal. She carefully slid the lid off, frowning when she saw the Dust inside.

"I've never seen this sort of Dust before."

"Do yourself a favour and don't touch it then."

Yang replaced the lid and took hold of the cube, presenting it to Weiss. She looked at her quizzically before taking the cube and opening it.

"Hmm. That's new."

She closed the container and pocketed it. She turned to leave. Yang followed her. Neither girl noticed the tiny bat in the corner of the room that followed them out, nor the lilac eyes in the shadows.

Jaune, Pyrrha and Ruby were exploring the unsealed buildings they found. Each one was very similar, and the trio had decided that they used to be houses. They searched each one, usually finding nothing more than shattered furniture and torn pelts, but in some of the houses, they found a cube full of Dust. They took each one.

The trio were sat in one house, taking a break. Jaune checked his Scroll.

"We have half an hour. We need about ten minutes to get back, so what do we do now?"

"Not sure."

Silence. Then, Ruby heard a faint yell. It was quiet, but unmistakable.

"Ruby!"

"Yang?"

Ruby stood, running out of the building. She heard Jaune and Pyrrha calling to her, telling her to wait. She ignored them, tracing her sister's cries. She pushed open the door to another house and the voice got louder. There was a staircase going down in the corner, and Yang's voice was coming from it. Ruby descended into the basement. The room was lit by light from the stairs and the glow of her sister's hair.

"Ruby! Oh, thank the gods. I can't get this off me."

Ruby could see that a slab of crystal had fallen on Yang, trapping her. She placed both hands underneath the slab and counted down with Yang. The pair lifted, and Yang swept her legs out from under the crystal and winced. Her right foot had been twisted back on itself. The slab fell to the floor with a crash.

"Rubes, I need you to help me stand."

"Sure."

Ruby bent down, allowing Yang to place an arm around her and lifted her to her feet. She frowned. Yang's hair was glowing, which meant that her arm should not be cold. As she realised her mistake, the not-Yang tightened her grip, her arm moving to Ruby's neck. Ruby's cry was cut off, and she watched as a tiny, bat-like Grimm landed in front of her.

A Siren.

Ruby struggled against Yang, a terrible blackness building a the edges of her vision. In front of her, the Siren spoke.

"Shhhh... It's okay, everything's fine... Your big sis is gonna take care of you..."

Focussing as much as she could, Ruby channelled her Semblance and ran forward in an attempt to shake off the Mimic. When that failed, she thrashed as hard as she could, using up her remaining air to try and escape. The Mimic's grip was too strong. She could feel herself getting weaker by the second, the blackness overtaking her vision.

"That's it... Sleep now... I'll take care of the re-"

The Siren was silenced by a gunshot, exploding in a puff of smoke as a bullet tore through it. The pressure around Ruby's neck lifted as a blonde blur slammed into the Mimic. Ruby fell to the floor, a crack echoing around the room. The Mimic growled, taking Jaune's shape and fighting back with growths of Grimm bone. Jaune's training came into play, combining his usual erratic swings with shield bashes and sideways leaps. But, the Mimic was able to match his pace. It delivered a shield bash, throwing Jaune back before sweeping his legs out from underneath him. It leapt into the air for the final blow, but was knocked back by a shield. Pyrrha burst into the room, unloading her rifle into the Mimic. It screeched with each shot, black ichor leaking from several bullet wounds. It keeled over, evaporating into nothingness. As Pyrrha lowered her rifle, Jaune was by Ruby, checking for signs of life. He placed two fingers on her neck before leaning and placing his ear next to her mouth. He sighed in relief when he heard her steady breathing. He stood up and lifted Ruby, carefully laying her over his shoulder.

"So that was a Mimic."

"Yeah. I don't like them." Jaune replied.

The trio exited the building, opting to head back to the hall instead of exploring. Pyrrha was poised the entire way, searching for any more threats. As they reached the hall, Nora stepped outside, gasping and running over to them.

"What happened?!"

Pyrrha stopped her from getting close to Jaune while he explained.

"Mimic and a Siren. It looked like it was imitating Yang. My guess is that it chose Yang so that she could get Ruby alone. Don't worry, she's still alive."

Oobleck emerged from a doorway, carrying a large, yellowed book. He carefully set it down, barely looking at the unconscious Ruby. Ren sauntered over to him, crouching down and studying the book. Jaune arched a brow.

"What's that?"

Oobleck's response was instant.

"I found where the Pale Void was first opened. The first Transcendent, they were the last of the Créshin. The book says that this city was besieged by Grimm, and that the five volunteers had chosen to test a dangerous new Dust technique. They tried to create a portal out of the city. It worked, to an extent. But they were trapped on the other side. This book doesn't tell me much more than that, since the writing abruptly ends." At that moment he stopped, going to Ruby's side and doing his own vital checks. He frowned. "She's been strangled. She's still alive, but those marks were made by a human arm."

"A Mimic and a Siren. It was mimicking Yang." Jaune explained.

"What was mimicking me?"

The brawler in question entered the hall, her eyes immediately flooding red when she saw Ruby's unconscious form.

"What did this to her?"

"A Mimic."

The temperature in the hall rose to an uncomfortable heat as Yang's Semblance flared involuntarily. She just stood there, a look of fury on her face and breathing deeply, her own heat causing her breath to shimmer. The heat vanished as Ruby coughed, her small form shaking as she returned to consciousness. She looked around slowly, immediately backing away from Yang.

"S-stay away from me!"

"Ruby! I'm not a Mimic, I swear."

"You tried to kill me!"

"A Mimic tried to kill you. I'm not a Mimic. Here, I'll prove it."

Before Ruby could react, Yang had crossed to her and embraced her, allowing her Semblance to heat up her body. Ruby tensed up for a few seconds before melting into the hug, sobbing.

"Ruby. Hey, Ruby. Come on. The Mimic's dead." She shot a look across the room and Jaune nodded at her. "It can't hurt you anymore. Come on, stand up."

Yang released her grip and stepped back, allowing her younger sister to stand. She did so slowly, her legs visibly shaking. Weiss went to Oobleck and presented the cube full of Iridescent Dust.

"Yang and I found this in a vault. Clearly the Créshin weren't killed off as quickly as you thought, if they had time to place three cubes of it in a vault."

"Hmm. Well, we need a better place to study these discoveries. Ruby, can you walk?"

"I-I think so."

"Good. We are heading back to the surface."

Oobleck placed the cube in his pocket, picked up the book and led them out of the city, taking them back to the door that brought them there. It was still open. Oobleck went first, then Jaune. Ruby came next, followed by her sister, Weiss, Nora and Ren. Pyrrha came through last, the doors sliding shut on rocky hinges and the light from the Dust Sources fading.

"Goggles on, Teams."

Oobleck stopped as he heard the seven fumbling with their goggles, and placed his own on his head. He turned around to help the others with theirs.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Mine aren't working."

"What?"

Oobleck inspected Ruby's goggles, and sure enough, a large crack ran across the lens.

"Hmmm. Very well. Weiss, you're a similar height to Ruby. You stand in front of her and guide her out."

"Alright."

Weiss stepped behind Ruby and placed a hand on her shoulder, and was immediately rebuked by Oobleck.

"Ms. Schnee, are you blind?"

"No?"

"Then why are you standing behind her? Stand in front of her and she holds you."

She did as Oobleck instructed, allowing Ruby to take a hold of her elbow. Weiss studied Ruby's face in the dark. She was looking around very quickly, trying her hardest to see in the darkness. Weiss smiled despite the situation before turning and following Oobleck, who had slowed down to allow for Weiss to guide Ruby. It was slow progress, since Weiss could not walk at her normal pace due to Ruby feeling out every step before placing her foot. This meant that those behind them could only go at her pace too. What took just a short while earlier now took close to an hour, the minutes ticking by until a faint light appeared at the end of the tunnel. The group formed up beneath the roots of the tree.

"Ruby, I need you to let go for a second."

Weiss felt her hands move away, and she cast a glyph, causing the roots to swing open. Weiss guided Ruby's hand to her elbow again and climbed out of the hollow. They waited for the remaining Hunters to climb out of the hollow before Oobleck led them through the forest again. The group headed through the forest again, navigating through the trees to where the Wyvern was resting. As they drew close, Tsul opened the door, light streaming from the interior. Everyone except Ruby lifted their goggles from their head while the youngest girl shielded her eyes while they adjusted.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Crystal city."

"Explain on the way. I got a message from Ozpin. Nova was sighted leaving Vacuo in pursuit of a prison ship."

**Sorry this didn't arrive sooner. Main reason is that I had a bit of a hoo-ha with my E-mail address that I had to sort first. Feel free to leave a review, and I'll answer it in the next chapter.**

**Aura, out.**


	14. The North

**No new reviews, so straight to the next chapter.**

Nova was sat underground, inside the room she had commandeered. She had eaten so that her vessel could sustain itself for longer, and disposed of the two Faunus who had previously owned the small shelter. She had also managed to find a long, black cloak, complete with a hood and scarf. Perfect for hiding herself if she needed to. She had been busy trawling through Blake's memories, figuring out what everything did inside the shelter. The Faunus had even managed to get a radio working underground, and Nova had sat there for hours, listening to the city's fruitless attempts to find her. She had managed to hide by staving off her bloodlust, and she had succeeded. _Just_.

She sat, listening to the radio again, letting the reports cycle in her mind before one caught her attention. She gave the radio her full attention.

"Mercury Black was found guilty of releasing Nova, and has been sentenced to death by Warp Star. He is to be flown to Atlas later today for his execution."

Nova stood, stretching her arms. If he was flying by prison ship, she would follow. She smiled. Mercury deserved no less than a personal thanks for freeing her. She switched the radio off and rolled up the legend of Vulkos, placing it in its protective casing. She had fashioned a strap for it, so that she could carry it and keep both hands free. She would need them later. She cast one last look around the shelter before deciding to burn her sigil into the floor- a message that she was there, and there was no stopping her.

Nova waited until nightfall before heading out. She headed above ground, a hood and scarf obscuring most of her face. There was no hiding her burning blue eyes that almost glowed in the darkness. She would have to deal with that as and when she had to. She made her way to the main streets, mustering all of her self-control and pulled a civilian to the side.

"Where is everyone going?"

"You been livin' underground? They're deportin' Mercury Black. He's gonna get Warp Star for releasin' Nova."

"Where?"

"This way. I'm headed there myself."

"Show me."

Nova steeled herself against her bloodlust and followed the Vacuan man, hoping that he didn't notice how unnaturally blue her eyes were. He led her through the streets, the crowd growing as they neared the airport. Behind a chain-link fence, the crowd watched a prison ship power itself to the ground, the powerful engines tugging on any loose garments and hair. Nova ducked her head, holding her hood in place. A spotlight illuminated a large door, which slowly rolled open. Nova saw him. Her guide pointed him out.

"That's 'im."

Mercury Black was wheeled out in a glass cage. Four Atlesian Knights led it to the prison ship, shrugging off the rocks that were thrown at the cage. The crowed hollered and spat at Mercury, who just regarded the scene with a calm detachedness, as if he didn't care about what was going to happen to him. The cage was wheeled into the ship, the cries of the crowd muted to Mercury by the steel doors closing. He sighed, lowering himself to the floor of the cell and sitting cross-legged. It was a long transit to Atlas.

Outside, Nova watched the ship take off. This time, she did not stop the downdraft from tearing the hood from her head, and she pulled the scarf down. Her guide noticed the raven hair and blue eyes, quickly putting two and two together.

"Hell no, you're Nova!" Suddenly, he was shouting. "Nova is here! Scatter!"

The crowd was instantly pitched into chaos. Most took the man's advice and ran, stampeding over one another in an attempt to escape. Some attacked her, swinging punches at her. She dodged them effortlessly, retaliating with punches of her own. The crowd made way as the four Knights tore down the fence, raising concussion rifles and training them on her. She rolled out of the way of the first salvo, the force of the shots shattering the ground where she had been. She threw a fireball at one, half of its face melting in the blast. It kept on firing. Growling, she gathered her strength, wings of flame erupting into existence, and she took off, dodging the final shots that came her way as she flew out of range of the Knights' rifles. For good measure, she threw a larger fireball at the panicked crowd, a chorus of screams erupting as flesh burnt. Grunting in satisfaction, she turned and soared in the direction of the prison ship, the light from its engines giving it away. As she drew closer, two more sets of engines appeared in the darkness, two Wyverns appearing out of nowhere and opening fire.

_Of course there would be an escort._

The first few bullets tore through the air. Nova simply increased her body heat, the bullets melting and integrating before they hit her. She moved to the right, creating a fireball in her hand and flying in front of the Wyvern. She hurled it at the cockpit, her flames melting through the window. As soon as it stopped in mid-air, she flew to the other, attempting to repeat the process. As she threw the fireball, the Wyvern dived, the flames grazing the tail fin. She scowled. She dived after it, latching onto the cockpit and ripping the window away. She lifted the first pilot, hurling him with his chair into the night. His screams soon faded. As she turned to deal with the second, he aimed a gun at her and pulled the trigger. Caught off-guard, she could not stop the bullet as it tore through her left shoulder. She roared in pain and tore his throat out with her teeth, enjoying his gurgles as he drowned in his own blood. For good measure, she incinerated the rest of the aircraft, the wreckage pitching into the ground. Cauterising her arm, she flew after the prison ship; she prised the bay doors open, Mercury raising an eyebrow at her dramatic entrance. She ignored him and dissipated her wings while also boiling the guard's eyes before he could raise his gun. Nova followed up by taking hold of his head and twisting sharply. One sickening crack later and the guard lay screaming on the ground, unable to move his body as his eyes burned. She let him bleed, moving to the cockpit and forming two fireballs. She held them to both pilot's heads.

"You will not deviate from this course, you will not call for help."

Before she had even finished speaking, she discharged the ball in her left hand, the pilot's head melting as he pulled a gun on her. The remaining pilot didn't react, looking straight ahead and doing as instructed. Nova leaned in close, talking directly into his ear. He recoiled slightly.

"If I hear a single word, you will burn slowly." She held up a hand, allowing the guard's screams to fill the cockpit. "I don't think you want to know I did to him."

Swallowing nervously, the pilot nodded. Nova grinned, moving the dead pilot's body out of his seat and throwing him into the hold, taking his place on his seat and re-opening her shoulder wound. She growled as she dug the bullet out, throwing the offending lump of lead to the floor and burning her wound shut again. She tested how far she could rotate her shoulder before the scar tissue tore, and was pleased to see that it would take unnatural contortion to open it.

"How long does it take to get to Atlas?"

The pilot didn't talk. Nova pressed a finger to his throat.

"How. Long?"

"A-about two and a half hours."

"Thank you."

She settled into the chair, looking out of the cockpit window.

_Soon. Soon it will all burn._

_Don't be so sure._

_Shut up, girl._

You think you're so great, that you're above us. You have emotion, so you can't be.

_I said SHUT. UP._

Nova heard Blake laughing in the recesses of her mind. The sound infuriated her, offended her more than any words did. She mustered her willpower and sent it to squash Blake's presence in her mind. When it had no effect, she growled. She closed herself, retreating into herself in pursuit of Blake.

-The _Fiend_-

"Nova was sighted leaving Vacuo in pursuit of a prison ship."

"Where was the ship headed?"

"If Mercury's been sentenced to Warp Star, then it'll be heading to Atlas."

Ruby stepped between the two men.

"What do we do?"

Oobleck turned on her.

"You will be returning to Beacon and letting a full military force deal with Nova. We've all seen the atrocities she's committed. We cannot let you risk your lives there."

"But Blake is one of us! She can suppress Nova with my help!"

Oobleck leaned in close, towering over the young girl.

"Young lady, the last time you did that Nova was contained so that she would not kill you on sight. She is currently at large, and mostly unstoppable. Our most experienced Hunters would have extreme difficulty with her. She threw off a mental attack like it was nothing. How will stop her?"

"I'd do what I did last-"

"No! That is what you will do. I want to know how you will stop Nova so you can do that. Tsul, take us back to Beacon."

The engine pitch rose, the _Fiend_ lifting into the air and turning. The occupants were silent for the duration of the flight. By the time they touched down at Beacon in the early morning hours, Ruby had not produced an answer. Oobleck laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I understand that you want to help her. Truly, I do, and I have never seen such faith and determination. But, I will not let you lead a self-destructive mission against an enemy that has fought the best and won."

Ruby stared at the floor, her hair falling forward and obscuring her eyes. She sobbed. Oobleck stood, taking a deep breath to steady himself before lifting the Wyvern's door, letting the cold air in. Team JNPR left, closely followed by Weiss and Yang. Ruby shuffled after them, a stark contrast to her usual hyperactive pace. Oobleck frowned, taking the Iridescent Dust from his pocket. Tsul emerged from the cockpit, his eyes falling on the glittering powder.

"Is that..?"

"Dust from the Pale Void, if I were to hazard a guess. It does not look like any terrestrial type of Dust. Tsul reached out to the cube, and Oobleck carefully placed it in his hand. Tsul raised and lowered his hand, his brow furrowing as he thought.

"Excluding the weight of the crystal box, I'd estimate that there's about ten grams of Dust there." Tsul took two tubes from his pocket, uncorking them. Donning protective gloves, he placed a small amount of Dust in each tube and sealed them tightly. He handed the cube back to Oobleck.

"Tsul. If you use that Dust for anything but humane experimentation, don't think for a moment that we'll hesitate to drop the hammer on you."

"Believe me, with this I can create something that could help us greatly."

Oobleck left the aircraft, heading into Beacon with the Dust and the Créshin book. Tsul closed the doors of the _Fiend_, making his way to the campus gates. One ID check later and he was out, navigating the streets of Vale back to From Dust Till Dawn. He slid his key into the lock, opening the door quietly and disengaging the alarm. Locking up behind him, he sauntered over to the glass case of Discs and went behind. Opening one of the drawers, he pulled out a single schematics sheet, unrolling it on the desk. Two words were scrawled across the top of the sheet.

Ultima Drive.

Removing the two tubes of Dust from his pocket, he scanned the schematics, carefully weighing up what he needed. Making the Disc itself was easy, but impregnating it with the correct amount of Dust would be difficult. He sighed, rolling the schematic and placing it back in the drawer. That would be an all-day job, and he would need Kisaragi's help. Tsul smiled. Compared to how long it had taken them to find a suitable material, Kisaragi's downtime would be like a blink of an eye.

-Ozpin's Office-

Oobleck stood before Ozpin, who was paying close attention to his words. Behind him, Glynda and Felix talked between themselves as Oobleck recounted the events of the night.

"Am I correct in assuming that you found a Crystal City in those caves?"

"Yes."

"And that you found the book of the people who presumably became the Transcendent?"

"Yes."

Ozpin hummed, slowly considering the situation.

"While this is an unprecedented discovery, we have more pressing matters. As you know, Nova's chasing a prison ship bound for Atlas. There's been no radio contact from it, so either they don't know she's there, which is unlikely, or she's holding them hostage, also unlikely. She's probably killed everyone on board and taken command of the ship. I have alerted General Ironwood, who is in Atlas at the moment. He should be able to take care of matters with their technology. Nevertheless, we're also sending a detachment."

"Ozpin, Ruby Rose insists that she and her Team go."

"I can't let that happen."

"I told her that. But do they seem like the type of people who follow orders to you?"

Ozpin paused, an expression of sadness ghosting across his face. It was gone in an instant.

"Bart, I'm sending you, Glynda, and Felix to try and stop Nova. She found it difficult to fend off a surprise attack from one Huntress, so sending three should overwhelm her." He paused before continuing. "Bart, you're the fastest of the three of you, so you will be striking in and out to create openings for Felix and any support you may have. Glynda, you will be backing Oobleck up with your glyphs while he attacks from all angles. As for Felix, you are our wildcard. We don't know much about your weapon or fighting style, other than you channel your Semblance into your blades, which can be fired like a dart or with a chain attached for mobility."

Felix smiled callously.

"I like to stay unpredictable."

"Alright then, honorary Team FOG, you're shipping out. Sorry to have to keep you up for longer, but we cannot just let this slip by unwatched. Landing pad four has a Bullhead ready for you."

-RWBY Dorm-

The door creaked open, the three weary girls walking inside the darkened room and just managing to close the door before crashing with a chorus of groans. Weiss took Myrtenaster from her hip and collapsed onto her bed, asleep in seconds. Yang took Ember Celica from her wrists, carefully placing the gauntlets on the ground before falling asleep half-on her bed. Ruby still stood, swaying slightly in her fatigue. She quickly checked if her teammates were truly asleep before scanning her Scroll on the door. The Headmaster Override flashed across the screen and the door clicked open. Taking Crescent Rose, she ran out of the room, running across the campus towards the landing pads. She watched as a refuelling hose retracted into the pad and the doors of a Bullhead opened. She couldn't see a pilot, so she took a chance and sprinted, her hood billowing behind her as she tapped into her Semblance. Upon reaching the Bullhead, she threw herself inside and searched for a hiding spot. She climbed into a supply crate, lying still and slowing her breathing. She soon heard voices, the lightning-fast rattle of Oobleck, and the quiet, collected voice of Felix. Another male voice greeted them, unfamiliar to Ruby, and she heard the cockpit door open and close.

_The pilot. Of course._

Ruby stopped breathing for a second as the crate creaked. Someone was sat on top of it. She heard Crimson speaking from above her.

"So Ruby Rose wanted to help. I really like her enthusiasm, I do. Such a shame that she's had someone so close torn away."

"Our background checks showed that her only family is Yang, along with their father Taiyang and uncle Qrow. She's had a rough childhood." She heard Glynda reply.

"Nevertheless it's foolish to take a trainee, a first-year no less, to tackle an enemy that has the ability to incinerate kingdoms." Oobleck blurted.

Ruby almost teared up, biting into her thumb to stop herself from sobbing. She felt sleep taking her, the voices above fading as her eyes closed. Her last thought before sleep took her was the prayed she didn't snore.

Ruby woke up as the crate she was in shook. She opened her eyes, listening to her surroundings. The Bullhead was shaking.

"Bloody turbulence."

The shaking continued, the crate sliding somewhat across the floor. The pilot's voice echoed in the small space.

"We'll be there in a few minutes, we're approaching Mantle now."

Ruby lay there in silence, unmoving, for the next five minutes. She had to stop herself from screaming when the craft shook violently and the sound of screeching metal filled the air, followed immediately by the howling wind. A shard of the hull cracked the crate she was in, and she could see a gaping hole in the hull, snow spiralling in alongside the biting cold.

"Oobleck! We've been hit!"

"By what?!"

"No idea! Glynda, a glyph! Slow our fall!"

Through the new crack in the crate, she watched as Oobleck, Crimson and Goodwitch leapt from the Bullhead, the pilot emerging and following suit. Ruby leapt out of the crate, quickly taking stock of the situation. The Bullhead was spiralling down towards the frozen earth of Mantle. She could see Oobleck hurling fireballs at an unseen foe, while Glynda threw up force barriers. She could see the muzzle flashes of a small weapon, most likely the pilot's pistol.

Deciding that she could spend no more time inside the Bullhead, she jumped, the craft hitting the ground a second later, the concussive force of the blast propelling her through the air. She took Crescent Rose into her arms, firing forward in an attempt to slow down. She hit the snow, rolling several times before coming to a halt. A short distance away, she watched a blue fireball crash against the force barrier.

"Glynda! Now!"

Glynda traced practiced patters with her crop, arcane circles displacing their downward momentum and bringing them to a safe stop. The Bullhead hit the ground and exploded moments later. Oobleck had moved already, striking at a dark figure with his thermos, the flames illuminating the snow plains. She threw up a force barrier, a blue fireball detonating against it a split second later. The pilot opened fire, bullets tearing through the air. The figure vanished, and Glynda caught a glimpse of burning blue eyes. The sound of steel on steel reverberated from behind her, Felix having defended her from a lethal strike from Nova's Gambol Shroud. Nova vanished again, growling, Glynda shattering the shadow left behind. The four of them waited, and were almost caught off-guard when she descended from above, hurling a fireball into the ground. Felix jumped clear and fired a blade at Nova, successfully managing to stab her leg. He pulled, the chain attached going taut, but Nova simply placed a hand on the chain and melted it, the links hissing as they hit the snow below, wisps of steam curling into the air. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the pilot shot again, a bullet burying itself in Nova's leg. She cursed, flying upwards and removing the bullet with her fingers. Sealing the wound with fire, she swooped downwards, beams of flame erupting from her hands. The four below dodged around them, and she took off for another pass. She did this four times, separating them, and she isolated the pilot. She surged towards him, flames building in her hands. She prepared to incinerate his head, and smiled as he began to yell.

Nova yelled in anger as a red blur stopped in front of the pilot, took hold of him and disappeared, leaving Nova to crash into the snow. She was up in an instant, and was immediately under attack from extremely large bullets, the reports of the rifle firing them almost deafening her. Several came close to hitting her, and she felt electricity arc onto her, causing her to shake uncontrollably. She saw her new target as the sun rose over the horizon, and was immediately befallen by a splitting headache as Blake tried to take control. Nova saw the Hunters closing in, so instead of fighting, she took off, soaring into the sky and veering towards Atlas, the gleaming walls visible in the distance.

"So, it appears we have a stowaway."

"Indeed. A stowaway, even though she was expressly told not to come here because of how dangerous it was. You could have died on that Bullhead, Rose. You could have been killed by Nova. Why did you come here?"

Ruby looked nervously between the pilot and Felix Crimson. The latter glared at her, a look of disapproval creasing his face.

"Well?"

"I thought of an answer to Professor Oobleck's question." She answered nervously.

"What question? Oobleck!"

The professor appeared beside Felix.

"What is it?"

"Miss Rose here says you asked her a question, a question that she has an answer to."

"Really now?" He leaned in. "So Ruby, how would you stop Nova?"

Ruby smiled nervously.

"Well, just seeing me causes Blake to try and escape, which looks like it hurts. If we can distract her or make her mad to a point where she flies in a straight line, Professor Goodwitch or anyone good at making glyphs can make a wall. She flies into it and knocks herself out. Done."

Oobleck thought it over.

"Bait and switch, with a wall. You realise you need bait for this?"

"I think I can outrun her."

Felix stepped forward.

"To have the audacity to stow away is infuriating enough, but to purposefully endanger yourself on a plan that relies on an out-of-control Blake? If it were up to me, you would be back on that Bullhead back to Beacon." He turned to the flaming wreckage that Glynda was breaking down with glyphs. "Unfortunately, it's not up to me. Nova made that decision. Come Ruby, we need to get out of the snow. Pick up what you can from what Glynda's salvaged and follow us. Atlas is in this direction. Perhaps we can find more suitable bait there."

**Again, review to tell me if anything's wrong or to voice your opinion. I will answer any questions at the start of the next chapter.**

**Aura, out.**


	15. The Tower

-Hospital-

"Will that be all, mister Kisaragi?"

"Yeah, that's all. Can I leave yet?"

"Certainly. Remember, no driving for a week."

"I got it, doctor's orders."

"Have a good day, mister Kisaragi."

Kisaragi turned from the receptionist, heading outside and into the fresh air of Vale. Breathing deeply, he checked that his wallet was where it should be before walking away, back towards From Dust Till Dawn.

_Gods._ He thought. _It's great to be able to stretch my legs again._

He picked his way through the streets, smiling at any passers-by. He was in a good mood, free of the abysmal food and surveillance of the hospital. Sure, he had to take some medication, but a least he could do that at home.

He came to the shop, sliding his key into the lock and frowning when he found it unlocked already. He opened the door, raising his fists as he walked inside. Closing the door behind him, he made his way over to the counter and peered over, failing to stifle his laughter at the sight behind. Behind the counter lay Tsul, who was groggily wiping his eyes.

"Rough night out? I thought you were the responsible one."

"Good to see you too, Kisaragi."

Tsul pushed himself to his knees, staring at the pile of scrunched-up paper around him. Kisaragi noticed.

"What's all this?"

He picked up one sheet, flattening it as best he could and reading the contents.

"Different quantities of Dust? R, B, G, and Y and... I? Tsul, what's I?"

At the mention of the letter, Tsul shot to his feet, patting himself down before sighing in relief. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the two intact tubes of Iridescent Dust.

"Iridescent Dust. Kisaragi, we can make the Ultima Drive." He held out a mostly-intact piece of paper. "These are the proportions I have in mind. Standard Disc size, a total of three grams of Dust per Disc. One gram of Iridescent, 0.55 grams of Red, 0.25 grams of Yellow, then 0.4 of Blue and 0.8 of Green. I have a feeling we need something more robust than steel for these Discs though."

"Ha! You're not wrong. This much Dust would cripple steel. I know what we can do."

Kisaragi went into his workshop, unlocking the safe he kept in the corner of the room. Inside lay blank disks of various metals. Kisaragi lifted a few from the bottom of the safe and placed them on the table in front of Tsul.

"Tungsten Carbide. If this can't handle the Dust, nothing will."

"Excellent. Prepare the metal, I'll start measuring out the Dust."

-Pale Void-

"Beaten by a little girl. How shameful."

"Shut up, mortal."

Blake was stood in the Pale Void, her Transcendent now known as Nova stood in front of her, a look of abject fury on its face. They were still in Blake's head, but she could see the entirety of the Void this time, as there was no mist obscuring the towers of white, or the screaming of tortured souls. She ignored them the best she could.

"If you can't best a girl, how can you hope to take on the military of four kingdoms?"

"Shut up!"

The Transcendent raised a hand and Blake doubled over, pain erupting all over her body.

"I will not be talked down upon."

It dropped its hand, and Blake straightened up, wincing.

"So, now where are we on your multi-kingdom rampage?"

"The place you call Atlas."

"Why?"

For the first time, Blake saw mirth cross the Transcendent's decayed face. It unsettled her.

"You'll see."

And with that, it disappeared, and the walls of white reappeared as Nova took control of her body again. Blake sat.

_I will escape._ She thought. _With or without help, I am getting out of here._

-Atlesian Wastes-

Five figures walked through the snow. The weather had remained mercifully clear, but the wind still tore at them and stole their heat. The group occasionally stopped, warming up around the flames of Oobleck's thermos. The walls of Atlas loomed in the distance, and Ruby could already see the outer defences, turrets stood on top of the walls. Then, the group was walking again, tied together with the chains from Felix's Noli Turris.

"We don't know if there's any crevasses or fissures out here." He had said. "Ice fields like these wastes are dangerous. These'll stop us from falling."

He had taken special care not to let any of the metal touch bare skin, and he had forbade anyone from touching the chains.

"The last thing we want out here is frostbite."

Earrings had been removed and pocketed, and weapon grips had been taped up.

They stopped again, huddling around Oobleck's thermos again, the jet of flame providing little defence again the cold. Then, they heard a voice.

"Step away from the weapon. Hands where we can see them."

The group did as instructed.

"Good. Now turn to face me, slowly."

The five turned to see several Atlesian soldiers aiming rifles at them. The leader reached up to his goggles and scarf, lifting them from his face.

"Ironwood?"

General Ironwood leaned forward, studying Ruby closely.

"I remember you. You were the one who fought that woman in the CTT."

"Y-yeah. Ruby Rose."

She held out her hand, shaking in the cold. Ironwood took it, shaking it before retracting his hand. He looked at each of the party.

"Oobleck, Goodwitch. Good to see you're alright given the current situation." He walked over to Felix and the pilot. "I don't recognise you two. Nevertheless, we need to get you out of the cold."

He spoke quickly and clearly into a radio, a Bullhead landing minutes later. He ushered the five on board and followed them on, turning to his patrol.

"Continue your patrol as instructed."

"Yes sir."

"Pilot, to the spire."

Th Bullhead lifted away, kicking up a swarm of powder snow as the downdraft intensified. The Bullhead provided little warmth, but the five were out of the wind, for which they were grateful.

"So what brings you out into the wastes?" Ironwood asked.

Oobleck leaned in, raising his voice to be heard over the engines.

"Our Bullhead was shot down by Nova some distance away."

"That was your Bullhead? We did see something go down, but we weren't sure what it was."

"That was us."

"And you say Nova is on Mantle, possibly in Atlas?"

"Yes."

Ironwood thought the situation over in his head.

"Well, until she shows herself, there's not a lot we can do. Come, we are here now."

The Bullhead soared over Atlas, headed towards the massive spire in the centre of the city. The Bullhead landed on a pad near the top, and the doors opened. Ironwood jumped out first, running down the narrow path and opening a door on the side of the building. He waved to the five, Oobleck leading Ruby out first, followed by the pilot, followed by Glynda and Felix. Ironwood shut the door behind them, the heating inside chasing away the cold. Ironwood removed the thick gloves and coat he was wearing, hanging them up and sitting down behind his desk.

"So, what brings Nova to Atlas?"

"She was seen chasing after a prison ship headed this way."

"We've only had one prison ship come here, and that was a few hours ago. Are you telling me she's after Mercury Black?"

Ironwood rotated a screen on his desk, showing security footage of a prison cell. Mercury was sat in the middle of the floor, cross legged. He had a bored expression on his face.

"Vacuo wants us to transmit his execution. Legally, we cannot do that until the watershed today."

"That gives Nova almost a full day to attack this place."

"She would need four weeks and an army to break through the lobby."

"I hope you realise that she doesn't need to use doors. She... Makes her own. She is capable of flight and could break through those windows."

"Our windows are bulletproof."

"How fireproof are they?"

Ironwood didn't answer.

"Look, Mercury isn't safe here, and as long as he's here, Nova will try to get to him."

Ironwood stood up sharply.

"Then where can he go?"

Silence filled the office, occasionally broken by the howling wind. Glynda stepped towards Ironwood.

"Bring him up here. We can defend him here."

Ironwood was preparing a retort when sirens broke out inside the building. He looked at his desk, the surface becoming a screen and showing the status of the city.

"Fires have broken out around the tower."

Ruby ran over to the windows, looking towards to the ground. She saw flashes of pale flame, followed by explosions.

"Blake's down there!"

Glynda turned to Ironwood, giving him a pleading gaze. Sighing, he reached for a microphone.

"Send the prisoner up here, then lock down the building."

Glynda let out a barely audible sigh of relief.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

Minutes later, the elevator doors opened, and Mercury led in by two Knights. As soon as the doors closed, red lights began flashing throughout the whole building. Lockdown.

For hours, they waited, the flames of the city below sending great plumes of smoke streaming into the sky. The windows had been smeared with ash, black powder covering the exterior of the building. Ruby was trembling slightly. She wanted nothing more than to go to Nova, and hold her until Blake resurfaced.

_I want her to be normal..._

Glynda had passed some of the time by creating glyphs on the windows, the arcane sigils glowing starkly against the dark clouds outside.

"I'm strengthening the glass. It's nothing much, but it'll take much more effort to break through them." She had explained.

Oobleck had been discussing the situation with Ironwood, explaining to the general the "plan" Ruby had thought of, and what had happened the last time Nova had come into contact with Ruby. Ruby saw several sidelong glances in her direction.

Felix was keeping Mercury in check. While Glynda had trapped him in a cube of force, Felix channeled his Semblance slightly in order to keep him timid. It seemed to be working, as Mercury kept nervously glancing around the room, specifically at Ruby.

A message came through Ironwood's desk, and he answered. He was immediately met with panicked shouting.

"Nova's trying to break through the doors!" A thundering crash shook the building slightly. "They're holding for now, but at this rate she'll burn through the surrounding architecture!"

Another tremor shook the building.

"Where are the Knights?"

"They're stuck outside the main square! Nova did a pretty good job of creating burning walls of rubble. They're waiting for some aircraft to pick them up."

"The ones inside the building?"

"In here with us."

Another tremor.

"We have Mercury Black up top. If she does somehow get in, she'll have to go through fifty floors of hell to get to him. Captain, do not panic. She will not get through those doors for some time."

"Yes sir!"

There were several further tremors, before a long period of silence. Ironwood re-opened the link again.

"What's happening down there?"

He got no reply, only steady breathing. There was a faint cry, and crackling as the opposite microphone moved.

"I must say General, those doors were very good. Well-made, too. One teeny, tiny criticism though- make the hinges out of something with a higher melting point. Big mistake General."

The line went dead. Ironwood visibly paled, and looked at Oobleck.

"Take Felix and take her down. We can't let her gain access to this desk."

Ruby turned around, her head tilting to the side in confusion.

"What's so important about that desk?"

"The fact that it can control all of the androids in the city with the right codes. This building and Atlas is at risk if she gets her hands on this."

"Oh."

Oobleck had run across the room, trying the door before remembering the lockdown. Ironwood walked over to Oobleck and handed him an earpiece before doing the same with Felix.

"I will track you from here and open each door as you come to it."

Quickly returning to the desk and typing in some codes, the doors to the stairwell swung open.

"Go. She's currently on the first floor."

Nova had to commend the engineers who had constructed the Atlas Spire. The front doors had proven troublesome, and the lobby was full of androids and a few human soldiers positioned in strategic locations. Unfortunately for them, nothing was one hundred percent heat-resistance, and the hinges had soon given way, as had the processing units of the androids and the moisture in the humans' heads. After clearing the lobby, she had turned her fire upwards, slowly burning through the solid metre of ceiling and the floor above, allowing the molten materials to pool on the now-bloodstained floor. As the hole became large enough for her to rise through, her wings flared, carrying her upwards. She took care to avoid the smouldering edged of the hole. As her arms cleared the next floor, she shot upwards, diving behind the nearest cover as concussive blasts filled the air. Quickly sticking her head out from the desk she was hiding behind, she counted six humans firing at her, four in front, and two behind. She launched a ball of flame at random behind her, listening to the footsteps as they quickly moved away. She threw herself at them, catching a woman unprepared in a frenzy of flame and teeth, letting her screams fill the air as she burned through her shoulder. Nova dodged again, allowing the hail of concussive blasts tear through her victim; Nova heard bones shatter. The woman didn't move again.

Nova took off, circling around the room at high speed and weaving through the salvos of gunfire. She picked the humans off one by one, intense heat melting through their fragile skulls. The room fell silent, and Nova started to burn another hole through to the floor above when she heard a mechanical clang and a blade buried itself in her side. She growled and was pulled off her feet before she could place a hand on the chain attached to the blade. She scrambled to her feet but was immediately knocked down again by a few well-placed blows to the legs.

_Stopped by humans again? Shameful._

_Shut up._

Using her wings, Nova propelled herself backwards, giving herself room and time to think. Two men stood in front of her. One of them, the one that had shot her, was currently retracting a chain into his gauntlet, keeping his smouldering red gaze on her at all times. The other was brandishing a club with flames flickering from one end.

_I will not let you kill these people._

_Just try and stop me._

Nova moved, and immediately came under attack from Oobleck. She didn't even see him move before he was behind her, delivering a savage combo and knocking her back, burns appearing at the points of contact. Nova growled, swiping at his head only for her fist to pass through empty space. She tried to kick behind her but felt a blow to the small of her back knock her over. Roaring, she charged the other head-on, hammering into him. He barely flinched, merely bracing himself for the imminent attack and catching her. He pushed back, bringing the pair to a halt and slammed her down. She howled as she felt her left leg fall out of place. She propelled herself back into the hole, retreating to the corner of the lobby. She twisted her leg, trying to relocate her leg before realising that without Aura, she couldn't heal it in time. She blanched, feeling the Deathstalker Venom still circling in her blood, keeping both Blake and her Aura out of reach.

_You and I both know what will happen if you remove that poison._

Taking a deep breath, Nova burned the remaining venom from her blood and put her whole weight into her hip, feeling her leg pop into place. Her Aura flared, healing the tissue damage. At the same time, Blake's voice became deafening.

_You're trapped in my body now. My Aura responds to me, not you._

Nova lashed out, a psychic pulse causing Blake's mind to shake. Tensing up, Nova slowly rebuilt the mental barriers that Blake had torn down in her moment of weakness, confining her again while she flew back up to the first floor, her Aura immediately soaking up a few hits from Oobleck's club, she swooped towards him, delivering several midair kicks to his body, sending him staggering. Before she could knock him out, Felix had closed in, swinging at he with blades alight with crimson energy. Nova had felt fear before, but this was almost overwhelming. She backed away, deciding to throw flames at Felix instead. She threw two handfuls before rolling to dodge a wayward blade. She ducked under another before she took both in each hand and pulled him forward. She drove her knee into his crotch, watching him double over in pain before slapping him across the face, seeing him reeling. She heard Oobleck approaching from behind and she spun, her fist colliding with the professor's jaw. She heard his teeth clack together and he crumpled, falling to the floor unconscious. She went to jump on top of him, to tear off his head, but she was stopped by Blake.

_I will NOT let you kill him!_

White pain erupted in her head and Nova fell sideways, landing on all fours. She pushed herself to her feet as Felix did, and the two charged at each other again, Felix firing another blade as soon as it retracted fully. Nova caught it, spun, and delivered a fiery kick to his gauntlet. Felix pushed her away, waiting for his gauntlet to retract the chain. He frowned when it did not. Nova chuckled.

"Having technical difficulties there? Modern technology is so... Delicate."

Felix wound some of the chain around his arm and began to circle it. The chain went taut and the blade was pulled into the air, circling around Felix's head.

"We humans and Faunus can improvise, you monster."

The second chain extended, and Felix lashed both blades towards Nova. She forced herself backwards, avoiding the whips. He attacked again, his Semblance illuminating the chain with a red glow, the blades soon following suit. One caught her hand, tearing through her Aura and cutting into her. She was no longer in the tower, but somewhere else, somewhere blank. Blake was staring at her, holding a weapon of pure light.

"You die here."

Blake rushed forward, and Nova pushed herself backwards, releasing a pulse of flame. The illusion disappeared, and Felix was caught off-guard by the sudden pulse, the full force of the flames, sapping his Aura, driving him to his knees. The flames filled the room, turning the tables to ash and fracturing the walls. Before Felix could open his eyes, he felt Nova's hands around his neck.

"You're going to take me to the top floor."

Nova released him, quickly picking up Oobleck and his weapon, pointing it at Felix.

"Weapons, off."

Slowly moving his hands, his gauntlets fell away, and Nova placed them on her own wrists, the chains dragging behind her.

"Walk."

Felix stood, approaching the lift. He looked at Nova with a look of fury. Simply placed Oobleck's weapon at his neck.

"Ironwood, we have her."

The lift doors opened, and Nova ushered him inside.

-Top Floor-

"Ironwood, we have her."

The General let out a sigh of relief, tapping his desk before leaning back. Ruby and Glynda also let out breaths they'd been holding.

"They're on their way up now."

They waited in silence for less than a minute as the lift ascended, and Ruby watched the screen above the door count the floors. As soon as it hit fifty, she stood back as the door opened, before immediately reaching for her weapon. Glynda raised her crop and Ironwood levelled a pistol at the lift.

"One more move and I'll barbecue his skull."

Nova shoved Felix into the room and threw Oobleck towards Ruby. Nova stepped forward, delivering a quick punch to Felix's temple, knocking him out. Ruby immediately checked that he and Oobleck were still alive. Nova raised Oobleck's thermos and aimed it at the trio.

"Now then, your weapons. Throw them over there." She looked around the room, nothing happened. She placed a finger on the trigger. "Do it, or they become corpses."

Begrudgingly, Ironwood replaced the safety on his pistol and threw it across the room. Glynda did the same. Ruby did not, instead training her rifle on Nova. She scowled at her.

"Blake, you can-"

"Stop. That's not happening again."

Nova raised a hand to her head, visibly wincing. Ruby caught on.

"That's it Blake, come back to us."

"Silence!"

Nova moved through the space between them, bringing a fist across Ruby's face. She cried out, stumbling backwards into one knee. Nova cried out too as Blake attacked her from within, momentarily losing control of her body, the blue fire in her eyes vanishing.

_You bitch!_

Blake moved to Ruby, hugging her.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop her..."

"Blake, it's not your fault."

"But I-"

"It's not. Your. Fault."

She pulled away, raising a hand to her head.

"She's coming back, I can feel it."

She fell to her knees, both hands on her head, her eyes lapsing blue for a second. Using the distraction, Glynda moved across the room, recovering her crop and moving everything and everyone to the other side of the room. Blake pitched forwards, and Ruby ran back out to her.

"I can fight her... I can fight her..."

"Yes you can! You can fight her! You're stronger than her."

Blake stood, eyes blue.

"General! You will give me control of your armies or I will-"

She fell again, gold eyes staring at Ruby.

"She's taking control..."

Nova stood.

"I will burn Atlas. I will burn you if you-"

Gold.

"I... I'm..."

Blake's eyes closed, unconscious.

-Pale Void-

"Insolent girl. I knew restoring your Aura was a terrible judgement on my behalf."

"Then you shouldn't have. You should've died with me."

"I will not allow my vessel die so easily."

"Then I'll make that decision for you."

Blake took the Gambol Shroud, the blade rising and revealing the barrel of the pistol. She pointed it to her head. She went to pull the trigger, the click of the safety echoing around the Void. She faltered when Nova didn't stop her.

"Aren't you going to try and stop me?"

"I was hoping you would make my possession much simpler by annihilating your own soul."

In the blink of an eye, Blake trained the pistol on Nova and pulled the trigger. Nova dived out of the way, decaying wings unfurling to air her movement as pale fire grew in her hands. Blake blocked them and closed the distance between them, slashing at her wings. She felt the Shroud bite into the greyed flesh, misty blue ichor leaking from the wound. Nova reeled away from Blake, hurling fire as she went. Blake closed in again, and the pair were locked into a lethal dance, blades colliding with fiery claws at blinding speeds. Blake forced Nova backwards, driving her to her knees with relentless, furious strikes.

And then, she disappeared.

"Enough! I can see this is far more trouble than it's worth using you. I will take matters into my own hands."

Nova raised a hand, blue light streaming from it.

"I do not need some mortal girl to lay ruin to this world."

She flung her arm outwards, a beam of light hitting the ground a short distance away. Blake watched as Nova walked over to it and jumped into it.

The second Nova was no longer visible, Blake was wrenched out of the Void, awaking in her body and gasping. Ruby was immediately top of her, holding her tightly. She watched as a rift was torn into existence, the true form of Nova forcing its way out of the Pale Void. Ironwood took aim with his pistol and pulled the trigger. Nova blocked the sphere of light, kicking it away and sending it bouncing around the room. As the occupants ducked behind the desk, Nova took Blake and Ruby in her hands, lifting them by their necks before turning to Ironwood.

"I believe we have negotiations to continue with."


	16. Unleashed

**This chapter's a bit on the short side, the next one will be longer, I swear.**

-Workshop-

Two bowls lay on the table, alongside two blank Discs. Inside the bowls lay a carefully measured amount of Dust, tailored for stability, versatility and power. The Discs had many grooves and circles cut into them, arranged in patterns to further amplify the power of the Discs.

Tsul and Kisaragi stood before the table. Each man had spent hours preparing their respective components, Tsul using a balance and tiny spatula to measure out the Dust while Kisaragi had marked and milled the shapes into the Discs. Now there was one thing left to do.

"Tsul, the honour's all yours."

Tsul carefully lifted one of the bowls and its respective Disc, carrying them to a powerful torch. Placing the Disc on the bricks, he heated it with torch while pouring the Dust into the patterns. The Disc hummed with power, the metal glowing and settling into a shimmering white colour. Turning the torch off, he lifted his goggles and picked up the Disc with some tongs, holding it up to the light. He carefully placed it on the nearby anvil. He turned to Kisaragi.

"Your turn."

The younger man's eyes lit up, and he immediately got to work heating the Disc. Tsul helped him pour the Dust in, the metal beginning to glow as he did so. Soon, it lay by the first, slowly cooling on the anvil.

"I didn't think it was possible, to combine the four Dusts into an all-powerful Disc."

"Neither did I. And it's not all-powerful. They just combine the abilities of all types of Dust. While they are certainly more powerful than your average Disc, they can be overwhelmed. We need to be careful."

"I know, I know. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that."

"Good."

Tsul turned away as the radio that had been playing music suddenly cut out, replaced with the voice of a reporter.

"We have confirmation that it is Nova that is currently attacking Atlas, laying waste to the buildings surrounding the central tower."

Tsul looked at Kisaragi, who stared back with sudden recognition.

"Ah, no, we're not going there. I just got outta hospital. Nope."

"Quench the Discs."

"But they won't be perfect then."

"Quench them."

"I don't want to. Come on, we just spent hours on them. I won't let that go-"

He was cut off by the unmistakable sound of boiling water. Tsul was stood over the quenching tank, steam pouring off the surface. He took one Ultima Drive and slotted it into his weapon before heading out the door. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kisaragi slotted the other Drive into Flux and ran after him, hastily locking up.

"Tsul! How are you gonna get to Atlas in time?"

"We fly."

"You can't do that. Beacon won't let you go on your own."

"I'm not going on my own."

"I don't count!"

Thy reached the gates of Beacon, Tsul showing his pass to the guard and making his way to the _Fiend_. He climbed inside, Kisaragi groaning and following, and was immediately rebuked by the control team.

"Platform two, you do not have permission to take off."

"Give me Ozpin."

"Repeat, you do not have per-"

"Tsul, what are you doing?"

"Ozpin, I need to help in Atlas."

"And what exactly do you plan to do there?"

"Kisaragi and I have created extremely powerful weapons that we plan to use on Nova."

"Just you two? Taking an aircraft that has a capacity several times that?"

"Are you trying to dissuade me?"

"Tsul, not only is Nova there in Blake's body, but I've been informed that Ruby Rose stowed away. I have two people who are just itching to go and help."

There was a knock on the door, and Kisaragi lifted it. He backed away, laughing nervously as he was affixed by one freezing glare and a set of burning red eyes. The temperature in the plane rose as a furious Yang and Weiss boarded.

"Headmaster override, nine, zero, Mu, four, Lambda. You have clearance for takeoff."

"Thank you professor."

"Do not thank me for this. There is a high chance of losing your lives in Atlas." The air filled with the noise of the engines starting. "Good luck."

Tsul forced the _Fiend_ into the air, heading northeast towards Atlas.

-Atlas Tower-

Nova stood, free of Blake's body. She raised a hand, blue fire wreathing it.

"I want control of all of Atlas' drones, vehicles and robotic soldiers. Do that, and I will spare your life and the life of everyone in this room. Deny me, and starting with you, I will kill everyone here before moving on to the rest of Atlas and Remnant." She allowed her flames to flare for a moment. "So what will it be, General?"

"I would rather give my life over you taking control of this tower."

Nova's decayed face twisted into a frown.

"So be it, foolish human."

Her arm bucked backwards as a ball of fire shot across the room and burned through Ironwood's chest. He was carried backwards by the force of the flames, his Aura visibly shattering and his flesh burning. Nova laughed at his shocked expression, his eyes becoming lifeless. She turned to the rest of the room, staring at each occupant.

"So, which one of you is next?" She walked around the room, staring each person in the face, watching them cringe as she got close. "Will it be you, my previous vessel? I have no use for an empty shell." She took Blake's head in her hand, watching her struggle. She was pushed aside by a red blur.

"Leave her alone."

"So, we have a hero. Tell me, what do you plan to do now? You may have stopped me before, but I was inside this wretch then. I no longer have such petty restraints." Nova flinched as she heard a powerful weapon cock. "Come now, do you really think your shards of lead have an effect on me?"

A gunshot reverberated around the room, the empty shell echoing as it hit the floor. Nova regarded the lead in her hand with mild disinterest. Ruby gasped as she realised what had happened.

Nova had caught the bullet.

"Straight for the head, how merciless. You have been trained well by your barbaric professors."

Another shot deafened everyone in the room, causing them to jump. Nova spun the second bullet down her fingers.

"Are you going to continue to waste your ammunition, or may I continue?" Several more shots filled the air, followed by hollow clicking. "Good."

She pushed Ruby backwards, summoning a wall of fire to keep her and the others contained. She then calmly walked over to Mercury, who regarded her with disinterest.

"I decided to come here and thank you for playing a part in my release. Alas, you can only do so much."

Nova slammed her fists on face of the force cube, the runes shaking. Two punches later, she reached inside and lifted Mercury by the neck. She delivered a swift chop to his head, watching him slump in his grip.

"Now then, the broadcast."

She walked over to Ironwood's desk, tapping the glass surface and smiling at the camera that appeared from the ceiling. A red light behind it told her she was live.

"People of Remnant, of Atlas, Vale, Vacuo and Mistral. Your new ruler is here." She lifted up the body of Ironwood to the camera. "This man would sooner die than give control to me, and he has paid the price with his pitifully short life. So my question is this: will you make the same decision? Would you die or choose life? Life under me, under the Pale Void, over an eternity of torture at the hands of my kin?" She dropped Ironwood and waved an arm at the point occupants of the room. "To hasten your decision, I will throw one of these fine people out of the Tower every ten minutes until I can see all three kingdoms pledging allegiance, starting now."

She carried Mercury to the landing pad door and opened it, before unceremoniously throwing Mercury over the rails. She returned to the camera.

"It's not Warp Star, but I can make it much worse than a long fall. Ten minutes."

The minutes passed slowly, only the crackling of Nova's unnatural fire filling the air. The room was cold and wracked with tension, no one daring to speak as Nova paced back and forth, occasionally looking to the clock in the room. The seconds hand ticked relentlessly. Nova stopped.

"Six hundred seconds. Oh dear."

She walked over to Felix, picking him up by his arms and lifting him to the camera, producing a small, hot flame in her hand.

"I warned you I can make things much worse."

She brought the flame close to his arm, watching his Aura flare up to block it. The shield glowed brightly for a few seconds before she took her hand away, moving to the ears on top of his head. She fired the flame through it, leaving a ragged hole. Felix grunted and roared in pain. She put a hole in his other ear, before burning each of his fingers, each of his screams broadcast across Remnant.

"Do not try to stop me, or this will happen to each of the people in this room. Unfortunately for this man, he is not to die yet."

Nova dropped him, leaving him to crawl back to Glynda and Oobleck.

The Transcendent crossed the room and extinguished the flames around Blake and Ruby.

"Which of you should I kill first? The vessel or the lover?"

She looked between the two. She stared at Blake, who was on the brink of hissing at her, then at Ruby, whose cold, steel eyes stared right back at Nova. The Transcendent stepped back.

"Why not both?"

She stepped forward, making sure the camera was still following her. Lifting both girls by their necks, she kicked the landing pad door open and prepared to throw them when an electrified ball of light collided with her head. She screeched, her grip involuntarily tightening for a moment, before she regained control and threw the girls over the side of the building. Nova watched as part of the sky opened, a girl dressed in white jumping into the air and diving after Blake and Ruby, preparing a glyph as she did so. Nova watched with unbridled fury as the _Fiend_ uncloaked completely, a flame-haired man training a door gun on her and opening fire, the rain of lead forcing Nova back into the building. She turned to Glynda, Felix and Oobleck.

"You will burn."

Gathering her energy, she prepared to melt the three mortals before her, but a fist to the jaw stopped her. Her head snapped around, only for a second fist to smash into her face and discharge an explosive round into it, the force pitching her backward.

"Do not... Don't _ever_ lay a finger on my little sister!"

Blows like a jackhammer rained down on Nova, cracking the floor below her and driving her across the room. All Nova saw for a brief second were scarlet eyes before several punches shattered the window behind her and forced her out of it, into the freezing air. She screeched in rage, unfurling her wings only to come under fire again from the _Fiend_. This time, spears of light and shadow swarmed around her, some on fire, and some as cold as the air around them, some drilling vitriol and others discharging electricity. Several made contact, forcing her to take cover behind the building. She watched as shadows were drawn to the man at the door, a different man, before attempting to dodge the cloud of spears shot at her. Some hit the building, and some came close to hitting her. Those that did delivered debilitating electrical charges, causing her to drop through the sky as her wings seized up. She tried to move, to dislodge the spears in her, but she was too slow. She hit the ground hard, the spears shattering with the force. She lay there, groaning as her physical form tried to fix itself. She watched as three figures appeared in her vision, slowly approaching. One of them held a thin sabre to her throat. The others were unarmed.

"Any final words?"

Nova felt one of her wings twitch. She needed time.

"I do, actually."

"Get to it then."

"You think yourself so great, humans and Faunus, think that you rule this world. Let me tell you, I have seen things that you would not believe. Terrible things that lay sleeping in vaults beyond this world. Waiting to be released."

_Twitch._

"I have seen things that would drive you insane just looking at them, beings incomprehensible, let alone stoppable. Tell me, do you think you can compete with something like that?"

"We don't have to."

She felt both wings twitch.

_Almost there..._

"True, but I can summon something close."

She flapped, sending snow spiralling upwards and ascending before they could respond.

"I will show you despair!"

Nova flew upwards, past the tower, watching as the _Fiend_ was filled by the waiting Hunters and Huntresses. She fled into the distance, heading southeast.

Ruby, Weiss and Blake waited as the _Fiend_ landed to pick them up, Felix pulling them aboard and handing them their weapons. Ruby was immediately pulled into a crushing hug from Yang.

"I was so worried about you!"

She pulled away and punched Ruby on the shoulder.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Don't ever run away without us again." Yang retorted, her eyes flooding with red. They quickly returned to their natural lilac colour. "We worry about you, Rubes. We're your Team, we can help you, but only if you tell us where you're going."

"Umm... Sorry?"

Oobleck carefully unrolled the legend that Nova had left on Blake's body, his eyes going wide as he deciphered the Mistrali text with Kisaragi. He looked at Ruby.

"Where's she going? What did she say?"

Ruby cut in before Weiss explained, the heiress rolling her eyes.

"She talked about some really old things, before yelling something about despair."

"Tsul! Where is she headed?"

"Southeast, towards Mistral."

"No... She's going to try to... Tsul! Get us there, now!"

The _Fiend_ accelerated, cutting through the air and following the tube in the clouds that Nova had left. The further they went, the more the tube deteriorated.

"She's getting away!"

"Can't you track her heat?"

"No, she's as cold as the air around her."

The tube suddenly dropped, and a large heat signature appeared on-screen. Tsul followed it, banking sharply to avoid the colossal fireball that was growing above Nova. She hovered above the open crater of Mistral's extinct volcano. She looked at the _Fiend_, bellowing at it.

"So, you came here after all. Know that it is too late to stop me, and you can only watch the following events unfold!"

She threw her arms wide, sinking into the fireball before driving her arms forward. A huge beam of fire discharged into the mountain, the icy peak evaporating. The air was filled with the roaring of the flames, the light almost blinding Tsul before he shielded his eyes. The roaring cut off abruptly, silence filling the air for a few seconds. Then, the ground below shook. The mountain shuddered, the peak exploding as magma welled up, an ash cloud forming, forcing Tsul to move away. Lava cascaded down the mountain, but the shaking did not stop. Great swathes of the ground gave way, rising up around the mountain, unfolding and shaking the earth as they settled, taking the shape of clawed feet. They hauled the mountain upwards, leaving a large crater in the ground. A fifth monolith rose, two distinct eyes filling with flame and fury as a mouth was torn into the rock, a horrific roar filling the air for miles around. It began to move, shaking the earth with each step. The occupants of the _Fiend_ stared in shock. Blake shook Oobleck.

"Professor, what has she done?" No response. "Professor!"

He looked at her, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"I didn't think it was possible, that she could actually do it. This does not concern any of the four kingdoms individually any more. This thing could lay waste to all of Remnant."

"What is it?"

Another roar filled the air, followed by the rumbling of an eruption.

"It is the Ancient Grimm Tortoise, Vulkoss."


	17. Firestorm

**This chapter is a more "normal" length. This story's almost over now, just a few chapters left. Also, thank you for the review BlindingSun1993, it shows me I'm doing at least something right.**

**Onwards!**

"Oobleck! What is Vulkoss?"

"That is Vulkoss. Ruby, remember what I said to you in Mountain Glenn? Not all Grimm are still mindless? Vulkoss is an example of what can happen if a Grimm finds the strength to survive for thousands of years. The Goliaths we saw were probably a few hundred, if that."

"What about the legend?"

"The legend states that when Vulkoss first appeared, it took the mountain as its home, killing anyone encroaching in its territory. Over many centuries, it grew, feeding off the negativity in the area, before it became the mountain itself. It rose up, destroying the nearby villages with fire and ash before the Créshin intervened, and they cooled its magma chamber where the heart resides through extensive use of Dust. With no heat, Vulkoss collapsed, becoming just a mountain. But Nova must have liquefied the magma chamber again, allowing Vulkoss to rise."

"What do we do? We can't just allow it to rampage."

"What can we do? It took the collective might of the Créshin's greatest warlocks to stop it in the legend. We're just nine Hunters with a stealth craft versus an Ancient Grimm and a Transcendent."

Nova descended to the head of Vulkoss, standing atop its skull and placing a hand on the rocky plates. Blue lines spread from the point of contact, encompassing the entire span of the beast. Nova vanished, disappearing inside Vulkoss' body. It turned towards the Wyvern. Kisaragi noticed.

"Tsul, cloaking, now!"

The _Fiend_ began to disappear just as Vulkoss inhaled deeply. Its body glowed for a few seconds before it spat burning boulders through the air, arcing towards the aircraft. Tsul carefully dodged, navigating between clouds of ash and flaming rocks. The craft levelled out again, circling around the Ancient Grimm below. They watched as it made its way to a small village on the outskirts of Mistral, standing over it even as soldiers began firing on it, rockets flying and tearing chunks of rock from its legs. They may as well have been trying to carve a cave with a spoon, for the rock removed was barely a thousandth of the mass that made up its size. And then, directly above the village, it stopped, the cracks in its body glowing as magma welled and pressure built. Vulkoss roared again, the volcano on its back exploding, sending a deluge of lava, ash and gas down its shell, the pyroclastic flows falling through the open air and onto the buildings below, turning the pastures into hell. As if to finish its destructive spree, it squatted, allowing tons of rock to crush any surviving buildings and people beneath its mass. Yang's eyes flared while Oobleck looked on, horrified. The rest turned away from the window, unable to watch the devastation being wrought below. Felix turned to Tsul.

"Does this ship have any explosive weapons?"

"No, only the door guns and a rotary cannon underneath. But she'll see where we are if we open the doors."

"Open them for a minute."

"That will put everyone here at risk! I can't do that."

"Use the rotary cannon then."

"It won't have an effect."

The radio crackled into life, interrupting Felix. Through bursts of static, Tsul just made out Ozpin's voice.

"Tsul, come in, over."

"I'm here, Ozpin, over."

"Tsul, what is happening over there? Mistrali news reports are saying that the mountain has come to life, over."

"It has. Oobleck says that it's an Ancient Grimm named Vulkoss, the same one explained in the legend Nova stole from Vacuo, over."

"Did the legend say how to stop it, over?"

"Only through Dust use with the expertise of the Créshin, over."

"Right. Tsul, you need to get out of there. Do you know of any way to slow it down, over?"

"Explosive ordinance, but we'd need the collective firepower of the four kingdoms to even put a scratch on this thing, over."

"I'll see what I can do. Try to slow it down for a while while I pull some strings. Over and out."

The radio went dead and Felix turned to Tsul.

"Open the door. I'll talk to her. Be ready to dodge."

Tsul nodded. Felix went into the hold and lifted the door up. Vulkoss raised its head to inspect the gap in the sky.

"Nova!"

Vulkoss stopped, a pillar of flame emerging from its head, revealing Nova.

"Mortal."

"Why are you doing this? Why destroy innocent people?"

"Innocent?" She roared. "Innocent?! You people are not innocent. How could you be? All you do is destroy each other. What are Hunters if not elite soldiers, trained for naught but war and trained to kill naught but other Hunters? What do they do? What is their purpose other than to shed blood!?"

"To protect."

"Against what? The Grimm? Your walls do that. But what was it that punched through your walls? A human!" She stopped for a second. "There is no place for you on this world. The Grimm were here long before you evolved. You seek to destroy them and control your fellow humans, but your bloodlust only strengthens the Grimm. You are destroying this world. You are the head of the snake, and I..." She began to sink back into Vulkoss. "The axe. As long as humanity lives, you are destined for destruction. Let me give you purpose."

Felix took hold of the door gun and opened fire at Vulkoss' head. The bullets bounced off the tortoise's armoured head, leaving insignificant dents in the rock. It inhaled and raised its head, and another barrage of boulders arced towards the _Fiend_, and Felix held on for dear life as Tsul wrenched the controls sideways, some of the rocks coming within mere inches of the craft. Felix closed the door again, hiding the _Fiend_ completely. They circled around the mountain, searching for any weaknesses or gaps. Lava seeped from many caves, the burning liquid falling from the shell and falling like hail. Weiss looked at the main vent.

"How much ice would it take to cool the heart?"

"Much more than you could produce, even if you put your entire being into it. It's just too much for any one person to handle alone." Oobleck replied.

Ruby piped up next.

"What if the heart was destroyed?"

"I would imagine that Vulkoss would die with it. But how? You would need to swim through several kilometres of magma in order to reach it, and then what? If Atlas had been working on a way to navigate the inside of active volcanoes, those secrets are certainly lost by now."

They watched as the ash plume drifted in front of the sun, plunging the world into darkness. Oobleck watched on.

"At this distance, a nuclear device would not damage any major settlements. But if the dust was carried by the wind, the fallout could reach the Eastern Forest. And then we have to actually get one here..."

Oobleck took hold of the radio.

"Ozpin, this is Oobleck, would you consider using nuclear devices on Vulkoss, over?"

"You know I don't have the authority to make that call, over."

"Persuade someone who can! At the moment, a strike will not damage any settlements. We have plenty of time to get out of range, over."

A few minutes passed, before Ozpin came on the radio again.

"Atlas is a little trigger-happy at the moment, they're asking you for co-ordinates."

Tsul read them out.

"Very good. Now get as far away as you can. Atlas has launched a warhead. It's not nuclear, but it's incredibly powerful."

Tsul turned the _Fiend_ away from Vulkoss, diverting power from the cloaking to the engines. The interior went dark as the craft accelerated, a fiery speck appearing on the horizon. Moments later, the _Fiend_ passed the missile, the device hurtling towards Vulkoss, passing its head and detonating on the mountainside. A blinding flash was followed by a deafening boom, the force shaking the Wyvern. The light faded, and Tsul slowed, the lights inside relighting as power distribution returned to normal. They turned to survey the damage.

An enormous plume of smoke drifted ominously above the mountain, the concussive blast having driven the ash away and flattened every tree on the mountain. A large amount of rock had been shaken loose, the remaining chunks falling from the shell. Then, it took one step. And another.

"Ozpin, it's still alive."

"Damn it. We need to slow it down somehow so that it doesn't wipe Mistral off the map. I can try to get the Mistrali air force to attack."

Tsul navigated the _Fiend_ to Mistral's airport, landing without incident and immediately being interrogated by the ground crew.

"What are you doing here?"

Kisaragi opened the door, pointing out the door gun.

"We need explosive weapons. Can you do something about that?"

The crewman looked at the gun and its mount, measuring its length and asking for its weight. He nodded.

"We have something you could use. What do you plan to do? We just watched Vulkoss shrug off a nuke like it was nothing."

Kisaragi scratched the back of his head.

"We'll... Erm..."

Felix pushed past him.

"It wasn't a nuke, just a powerful bomb. Attack its legs. If we damage them enough, they'll collapse under Vulkoss' weight."

"Right! I can get you a cannon."

The crewman ran across the airfield, and minutes later a truck pulled up, several mechanics jumping out. The first group unbolted the door gun, replacing it with the cannon while a second group replaced the power cell of the _Fiend_. As soon as the crew were clear, the craft took off again, turning and flying towards the Ancient Grimm. They were joined by several other Bullheads, falling into formation behind the _Fiend_. Felix picked up the radio and opened a link to the other aircraft.

"Alright, the plan is to attack one of its legs until it collapses. This should stop it from reaching Mistral. We don't know what it'll take to punch through, so keep firing until it falls."

The formation approached the tortoise, flying low to avoid the ash cloud. As they drew closer, Vulkoss spotted them, spitting boulders at the formation, the aircraft spreading out to avoid the rocks.

"Target its left hind!"

A hail of explosive rounds collided with the monolith, bright flashes and smoke pouring off the points of contact as the Dust inside detonated. Felix opened fire as they passed, firing through the open door and adding to the volley. The formation circled around again, unloading their payloads into the same leg, a shallow notch forming in the rock. They passed again, another volley finding its mark. Vulkoss did not react, simply walking in the direction of Mistral while the aircraft tried to disable it.

Several passes later, hollow clicking resonated from Felix's gun, having used the ammo set aside for both guns on the _Fiend_.

"Tsul, I'm empty."

They led several more passes, Tsul having taken Felix's place at the door with Weiss and Glynda in order to launch energy balls at the leg. The witch manipulated the shattered earth beneath into large clubs, heating them and throwing them at Vulkoss. Smokeless explosions lit up the Ancient Grimm, followed by ice that rapidly cooled to rock, leaving it brittle for the Bullheads' guns behind them. Soon, the radio exploded into life.

"We're out of ammo, we need to go back to the airfield to restock."

"Damn, we've barely made a mark on it!"

True to the pilot's words, Vulkoss was having no trouble in using its leg, the thousands of explosions appearing to have done nothing to damage it. Not only that, but it had gotten startlingly close to Mistral, and heat waves were shimmering around it. Weiss launched a spear of ice at it, only to see it evaporate before it found its mark.

"It's heated up too much! I can't attack it!"

Vulkoss left swathes of scorched earth behind with each step, the heat charring everything it reached in just a few seconds. It was alarmingly close to Mistral now, the boulders it spat just falling short of the walls. The formation flew past it, landing in the airport and rearming. Sirens began blaring as volcanic bombs exploded against the walls of Mistral. Vulkoss' shell was clearly visible, towering over the walls. Ruby never appreciated just how big it was until she was stood beneath it.

It was _huge_, far larger than any Grimm she had ever fought, carrying a mountain on its back. She felt the ground lurch every time it took a step. Another cluster of boulders arced over the walls, crushing buildings and people as they landed and tore deep furrows into the ground. And then, it roared.

Across Mistral, glass shattered as the sound tore through the air, leaving an eerie silence as it cut off abruptly. It reared up, its forelegs rising before it pitched forwards, bringing its weight down on top of the walls. The reinforced concrete crumbled like wet paper, and the screaming began anew as Vulkoss lowered its head and vomited lava into the streets, the burning liquid igniting buildings and melting flesh. In the airport, the pilots became restless, itching to take off so that they could attack again. Signal batons were raised and the Bullheads took off, led again by the _Fiend_. Vulkoss' heat had dissipated, and Tsul led the formation in low, beneath the mountain in order to attack the left hind again. Thousands of explosions echoed through the city as the rounds found their marks, yet Vulkoss was not deterred. It continued its approach to the centre of the city, practically grinning as it crushed terrified civilians beneath its feet. Tsul had a dark look in his eyes, a look that Kisaragi shared. Felix remembered that they came from Mistral.

The weapons clicked empty again, and no more significant progress had been made.

"It's too big! We'll run out of reserve ammo before we break its leg!"

The formation peeled away as heat built around Vulkoss again, and it stood above the centre of Mistral. Tsul watched as the plume of ash was cut off, and he realised what was about to happen.

"No... It can't..."

The top of the mountain exploded, pyroclastic flows spreading from Vulkoss' body and engulfing a large proportion of the city. Then came the lava, covering what was left. Volcanic bombs flattened the further-flung buildings, leaving Mistral a firestorm. Maleficent laughter echoed around the ashes, Nova having risen from within Vulkoss to survey the scene with her own wretched eyes from the mountain. Tsul left the cockpit, storming into the hold and heading to Ruby, barely restraining his fury.

"Your weapon, please."

Ruby handed him Crescent Rose, a confused and scared look on her face. He put it into the rifle form and took aim at Nova, shadows curling around the scarlet weapon as he brought it to bear. He squeezed the trigger, pulled the bolt and fired again, the harsh reports ringing around the cabin, a strange whisper accompanying each shot. Nova whipped her head around, the force of the bullets driving her backwards, but not damaging her. As the weapon clicked empty, he tossed it aside and placed his hands together, darkness overflowing from his foci and himself. The darkness covered his eyes before engulfing him completely, and he flung his arms out, a pillar of pitch black streaming from the _Fiend_ and hammering into Nova. She visible struggled against the deluge, and was forced into the mountainside. Vulkoss also screeched in pain, the darkness too concentrated, too vicious for it to ignore. Tsul wavered, the pillar petering out and he fell, unconscious, out of the _Fiend_. Felix grabbed his arm as he fell, stopping the man from falling to his death. He pulled him back into the aircraft and closed the doors. The rest of the Hunters just looked on, shocked. Ruby was first to question what happened.

"What... Will he be alright?"

Kisaragi joined them in the hold.

"I've never seen him be so... Extreme. What he did was consume his Aura and put it into one attack and amplified it with his weapon's Dust. As you can see, it has a toll." Kisaragi lifted one of Tsul's eyelids. It was bloodshot underneath. "It'll take some time for him to recover." He looked out at Vulkoss. The fire in its eyes had died, and it lay still. The way the ash all was disturbed at its head told him that it was still alive. "Looks like he knocked it out. Let's get him to Vale. He can recover there."

Kisaragi entered the cockpit again, picking up the radio.

"Ozpin, Tsul knocked out Vulkoss for now. But..."

"Kisaragi, was it? I'm not naïve. I'm well aware of what a sudden cut in all Mistrali communications means."

Kisaragi sighed.

"It erupted over the city. It's gone, Ozpin. Mistral is gone. Tsul completely lost it, and put his entire Aura into an attack. He's out cold for now. We're on our way back."

Replacing the radio, Kisaragi took hold of the controls, directing the aircraft west over the Mistral Strait and the Eastern Forest. Little over an hour later, the walls of Vale came into view, still free from the ash. The prevailing winds had not dragged it this far. Yet.

As the _Fiend_ touched down, Glynda opened the door and lifted Tsul using a glyph. Felix followed close behind with Kisaragi. Oobleck remained with Team RWBY in the hold. Ruby laughed nervously.

"Girls, we appreciate your enthusiasm, but as you witnessed a while ago, we're up against something we just can't fight. And if trained Hunters and soldiers can't, trainees certainly can't. That's why we want you to stay here. Get some rest, fill Blake in. She's missed quite a few lessons." Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Oobleck silenced her. "This is not open for debate. Please, just stay in Beacon."

Ruby looked crestfallen. Blake put an arm around her, leading her out of the _Fiend_ while whispering to her soothingly. Weiss and Yang followed.

"Oh, and Ruby?"

The young girl turned to Oobleck.

"Ozpin's changed the codes. Your override is useless now."

Ruby turned around again. The Team were soon back in their dorm, having been excused from lessons due to their recent arrival. They were lying on their beds in silence, still reeling from the destruction that Vulkoss had unleashed on Mistral, the Kingdom now nothing more than a firestorm.

"Guys, I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off like that. I should've stayed with you."

Weiss sat up.

"Forget it. It happened. Stop thinking about what else could have happened if you didn't go." She lowered herself down again. "It's how I get by, anyway." She said quietly.

"Wow, our princess is very bull-headed, isn't she?"

"Not as bull-headed as you, you brute!"

"A brute, me? That's _Weiss cold_."

Weiss groaned and rolled her eyes. Blake rolled over, looking Yang in the face.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"Come on! I'm just _kitten_ with you!"

"Ugh! You are... You... You fiend!"

Blake jumped up onto Ruby's bed, hugging the smaller girl.

"I see I picked the sane sister to love."

Blake yawned, settling into Ruby's side. She giggled.

"Aww, looks like someone's _feline_ a little tired."

Yang burst out laughing while Blake covered her face with her hands, muffling her sounds of frustration.

"Why do I even bother?"

"Nice one, sis."

Blake threw her arms around Ruby.

"No! You will not corrupt her!"

"Heh, too late for that, by the looks of it."

Even Weiss smirked a little.

"Yang Xiao Long, if you harass your sister like that, I'll-" Blake stopped as Yang held up a black envelope.

"I could 'accidentally' drop these in JNPR's room. I think Nora would like to see these."

Ruby held up an envelope of her own. Yang's eyes narrowed.

"What's that?"

"You know what it is."

Ruby opened the envelope and showed Blake the contents. The Faunus put a hand to her mouth, giggling. She took the photo and jumped down, showing Weiss. Her face went bright red, and she made a grab for the photo. Blake danced out of the way, holding it up to Yang. The blonde gave a withering glare to both Blake and Ruby.

"When did you take that?"

"The flight back. Soooooo cute!"

"Give it here."

"Nope!"

Blake took the photo and examined it again. Weiss had very clearly fallen asleep in Yang's arms, while the latter leant against the corner of the hold. Weiss' head was resting in the crook between Yang's neck and shoulder.

Handing the picture back to Ruby, Blake sat forward, her legs dangling from the bed.

"So. What have I missed?"

As Team RWBY and later, JNPR, filled in Blake of past events, Oobleck was on his way to Ozpin's office. Felix was close behind him, as was Glynda, the latter having taken Tsul to the infirmary before catching up with the pair. The three now stood waiting for the elevator. The hall had been refurbished, the damage from Glynda's scuffle with Nova erased and the broken furniture repaired. The doors opened, and the trio entered, waiting for the doors to open again. Ozpin was waiting behind his desk when they arrived, a brooding expression on his face. The doors clashed shut, only the sound of clockwork filling the air. Ozpin sat up, placing his hands in front of him.

"Vulkoss."

The trio shared a glance before Oobleck stepped forward, unrolling the legend, laying it flat on the desk.

"Ozpin, we can't stop it. There are too few people, if any, left alive who have the expertise of the Créshin. Without powerful magic, we can't stop Vulkoss."

"I take it that it would be too inefficient to use explosives to use it?"

"It's too big for conventional weapons to have an effect."

"And nuclear devices would render most of Remnant inhospitable."

"Most likely."

"Then we must improvise."

Felix stepped forward.

"How? There's nothing powerful enough. We'd have to drop a continent on it to stop it, or bury it in ice. We don't have the skill."

Ozpin stood up quickly, pointing at Felix.

"I will not stand by as this monster slaughters millions. There must be a way."

"Ozpin, we'd need a weapon with the strength of the stars to even put a dent in this thing."

Oobleck gasped, one hand moving to his chin and the other to his elbow.

"Stars... Stars, stars, stars! Felix, you're a genius!"

"What? What did I do?"

"You said we needed the strength of the stars to damage it. Surely, there is no weapon, and we can't teleport a rat, let alone a mountain to throw it into one. But, there is a weapon!"

"What?"

"Warp Star! A weapon so powerful that the creators chose to forgot, and it even destroys the air in the room, creating a vacuum. We can use Warp Star against it!"

Glynda stepped up.

"But Warp Star is built into the Atlas Spire. We'd have to remove it and power it to be able to use it."

"But we don't! I reckon that Nova will try to big herself up, to show off. It's her nature! She's become arrogant. Look at what she's done. She tried to force surrender by throwing people off a building. We can just lure her to Atlas, and destroy her and Vulkoss!"

"That may just work. Oobleck, if you think it can be done, rest up today and get to Atlas tomorrow."

-Mistral-

Nova was sat atop Vulkoss. Its head was cold, currently devoid of magma. The plume of smoke drifting from what was left of the mountain that made up its back told her that it was still alive. She groaned. She hadn't expected a mere human to pull off such a powerful attack. It had actually damaged Vulkoss, as about a third of the mountaintop had been removed, and damaged her. Her very essence had been struck as she defended herself, and she could feel that her body was more sluggish, less lithe, as if some of the aeons that she had transcended had caught up with her.

She was channelling her energy into her wings, as the fragile bones inside had snapped like twigs when the pillar of shadows hit her and dashed her on the mountainside.

_They will pay. They will all pay._

She grunted as the bones realigned; flesh was forced out of the way for joints and cartilage, several organic clicks radiating from the wings. She looked around, marvelling at just how easy it had been to turn an entire kingdom into a charred husk. She could practically taste the ash and death on the air, the stench of burning flesh reaching even her atop her perch. She turned to the west, glaring at the horizon where she had watched the Wyvern vanish, along with the Hunters inside it.

_My flames coming for you. There will be no place to hide._

**Remember, all Constructive Criticism is welcome. Leave it in the reviews or PM me. **

**Aura, out.**


	18. Defense

-Beacon-

The next morning when Ruby awoke, the morning light was darker than it should have been. Throwing open the curtains, much to the disdain of the three other occupants of the room, she paled when she saw the ash cloud drifting outside; a thin layer of grey had built up on the windowsill, charcoal streaks dirtying the glass like infernal snow. Ruby looked forlornly to the east, where the ruins of Mistral lay beyond the horizon, little more than a smouldering wreck.

She squealed when a pair of arms closed around her, Blake having crept up behind her for a surprise hug.

"Morning."

The Faunus pressed a chaste kiss to Ruby's cheek, watching with an impish grin as she turned as red as her cloak. A thud behind her indicated that Yang had rolled out of bed and half-crawled to the bathroom, a towel trailing behind her. Ruby retreated to her bed, laying down again. She was soon joined by Blake, who curled around her, perfectly content to let Ruby idly stroke her ears. Weiss soon got up, yawning and waiting outside the bathroom, carefully sipping from a glass of water. The sound of rushing water soon cut off, and the door clicked open, Yang emerging wrapped in her towel and spotting Weiss waiting. Sprouting a salacious grin, she slowly walked past, a sidelong glance ensuring Weiss was watching before turning to her. Blake looked over as Yang threw her arms wide and flashed Weiss, who promptly choked on her water and flushed scarlet, hurriedly entering the bathroom and locking the door. Yang just laughed to herself. Blake settled down again, pretending she hadn't seen Yang's advance. Her mind began to wander, and she thought about how much she'd enjoy it if it were Ruby stood in front of-

_No, bad thoughts. Bad!_

She looked at the younger girl who appeared to have fallen asleep again. She felt sorry for her, truly, as she had seen her desire to help drag her away from her sister and to her while she had no control over her actions.

She never gave up on me, not once.

The bathroom door opened again. Blake felt Ruby tense up behind her, but before she could turn, she disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. Blake knew what was about to happen, and used her Semblance, blinking through the space between her bed and the bathroom and appearing inside as Ruby locked the door. Blake embraced her from behind again, laughing as she squeaked in confusion.

Outside, Weiss stared at the empty beds, and then the locked door with a confused expression. Yang looked similarly bemused.

"Did they just..."

"Yup."

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Weiss reddened again, and Yang just laughed.

"Are they..?"

"Probably. One hundred Lien says they're showering together."

The door opened, Ruby stepping out of the bathroom still fully dressed and bone dry. Yang raised an eyebrow before sighing and tossing one hundred Lien to Weiss, who caught it out of the air and placed it in her own pocket, a smug expression on her face.

"You are so crude."

Later, Team RWBY were stood in the auditorium, a location they felt they had been in too often, along with the rest of the Hunters-in-training. Ozpin stood before them, Glynda unusually absent from his side. He tapped his cane on the ground, drawing the attention of the crowd.

"Thank you. Now, first things first, I am pleased to announced that just yesterday, Blake Belladonna recovered from her possession and is now with us again. She is no longer Nova, but the young lady we all know. Now, unfortunately there are more pressing matters. Yesterday, Nova, now a separate entity, revived the Ancient Grimm Tortoise Vulkoss, and used it to destroy Mistral. Professors Oobleck and Goodwitch, as well as combat instructor Crimson, have departed to Atlas in order to prepare for Vulkoss' inevitable advance. I have gathered you to tell you this- should Nova or Vulkoss breach the walls of Vale, you do not, and I repeat, do _not_ engage either entity in combat, you will just die. That goes for every year group of Hunters and Huntresses in training. Your job should the worst come to bear is to assist the public. Get them to shelter, keep them calm. By all means, you may destroy any lesser Grimm that follow Vulkoss through the breach, but focus on the public, and try restrict the damage.

"I will, however, give you some information on Vulkoss that should help you keep the civilians safe. Vulkoss is essentially a walking volcano, and therefore poses all of the hazards of one. Lava, volcanic bombs, poisonous gases, and so on. Anyone proficient in Dust use, specifically ice, should tackle the lava by cooling it. This will solidify it and prevent further damage. Alternatively, you could assist the fire department in extinguishing any blazes that will most likely occur.

"Anyone capable of generating drafts, gusts and winds are to contain the gases. This can be done by simply directing the gases back at Vulkoss. While this will not damage it, it will prevent the gases from poisoning civilians. Anyone who can create barriers will work to prevent any volcanic bombs from hitting the ground. This is all I can do at the moment, as we are still working on... Procuring a weapon that we think can harm Vulkoss without damaging the surrounding area. Until Vulkoss comes into contact with Vale, lessons will continue as normal. Dismissed."

-Mistral-

Nova was still sat atop Vulkoss, the beast having remained stubbornly unconscious despite her best efforts to rouse it. Heat had returned to its head, that she could feel. But it was still sleeping, and no extra heat would fix that. She looked to the west again, tracing the waning ash cloud to the horizon. She smiled slightly, knowing that the ash would bring fear to the kingdoms it touched. Soon, much more than ash will be touching their walls.

Suddenly, the rock beneath her shifted, and she took off, flying around to the Ancient Grimm's head. The fire in its eyes had reignited, ash now billowing out of the volcano on its back. She placed a hand on its head, giving mental rebukes and commands to the behemoth. It growled in response, before forcing itself to its feet. It turned around, facing due west before setting off at what equated to a run, the ground lurching with each footfall and causing some buildings to collapse. It had cleared Mistral in just a few steps, heading into open country. While Vulkoss went west, Nova went northwest.

_Divide and conquer. The fire spreads._

In a bullhead due south of Atlas, Felix, Glynda and Oobleck sat waiting to land. Their aim was to weaponise Warp Star. Until they saw the machine for themselves, they couldn't make a plan. They knew it was inside the Atlas Tower, but didn't know if it was removable, or how much power it needed to fire. It may not even operate outside the Tower. Then there was the possibility of Nova attacking either Vale or Vacuo while they were out of range, or attacking them as they worked in Atlas. There were many ways in which the operation could go wrong, but would be extremely useful if successful.

The Bullhead listed, its engines rotating to allow it to hover above the ground in Atlas' central square. The doors opened, and the three Hunters jumped out, landing on the cold ground. Looking around, they could see that the fires from Nova's attack had been extinguished, a cloud of smoke still clinging to the city. The central square was a mess, rubble strewn across the ground and ash coating many surfaces. The Tower, normally so clean, had a dirty, corrupted look to it. The trio headed inside, past the glass doors that were propped open by beams of wood. Constructor robots worked on the building, sealing the holes that Nova had created and clearing the now-solid mounts of liquified concrete. Several of them looked at them as they passed, but they paid them no mind. Instead, Glynda caught the attention of the technician, who greeted them with a grim smile.

"You were the ones Nova had hostage. Glad to see you're okay. How can I help?"

"I need to see the schematics of Warp Star. Blueprints, circuit diagrams, everything."

"I can't just give those out. I don't have the authority to do that."

Turning away for a second, Glynda sent a message to Ozpin. Seconds later, her Scroll began ringing, and she held it out to the tech. He took the Scroll and held it up to his ear, a dubious expression on his face.

"Hello?"

"Good day. This is Ozpin of Beacon Academy. Now, I'm not sure if they've told you or not, that depends on who did the talking, but my colleagues require Warp Star."

"You can't just take it. It's built into the floor."

"We can fix that. But, in order to do that safely, we need the schematics."

"Sorry, I can't get them. There are no digital copies, only the physical ones hid in this building."

"Take my colleagues to the top floor. I have a feeling I know where they may be."

Shrugging, the tech led them to the elevators, swiping a pass to open them. Moments later, the doors opened to the late Ironwood's office.

"We're there. Now what?"

"Please give the Scroll to Miss Goodwitch."

He did as instructed.

"Headmaster?"

"Ironwood's desk. Place your hand on it."

She did so, and the panel lit up. Several buttons appeared.

"Some buttons appeared."

"Tap the one called 'Documents'."

"Done, what next?"

"In the search bar, type in the following code: T-W-O-A-W-N-F-T-T-E."

Glynda did so, and the screen turned blank, a single text box replacing the files on-screen.

"There's a text box."

"Type in Warp Star."

"It's asking for identification."

"Hmmm. I thought it might. Try using your Scroll."

She lay the device on the desk, several lines appearing around it. Her name flashed on-screen, followed immediately by "Access Denied".

"It didn't work."

"Hmm."

Felix stepped forward and spoke to Ozpin.

"Did Ironwood have any descendants?"

"Not that I know of."

Felix turned to the tech next.

"Has anyone been up here since Ironwood was killed?"

"Only to move the body. Straight in, straight out."

"Search the room. There may be secrets to find."

Glynda stepped behind the desk, crouching down to look underneath. The others ran their hands over the walls, searching for hidden buttons and leavers. Glynda had other ideas, though she found it.. Questionable. Running a finger along the floor just under the desk, it came back with flaked blood on it. Closing her eyes, she scraped some up before dropping it on the desk. Again, lines surrounded it, thousands of sensors analysing the new matter a hole opened around it, the blood disappearing inside. Ironwood's face appeared, followed by "Access Granted". Glynda stepped back as the top plate of the desk lifted with a pneumatic hiss, a panel inside lifting a small folder. She gently picked it up before opening it and unfolding a blueprint. It was titled Warp Star.

"Found it."

She ended the call.

Oobleck, Crimson and Goodwitch, along with the technician, stood on the 25th floor before a large metallic cage. Thick glass windows allowed a view to the pyramidal chamber inside, the device known as Warp Star hanging like a lethal chandelier from the tapered point. The floor of the chamber was strange, designed in a way that puzzled even the tech. A control panel lay several feet in front of a heavy door, adorned with just two switches and two buttons.

Door, Charge, Fire, and Discharge.

"So, according to this circuit diagram, there's a large capacitor that fills with power over time, with a capacity of about 350 gigawatts. Once it's full, an internal switch allows the 'Fire' button to be pressed. The floor stops the building from being destroyed, while the shape of the chamber accounts for the bloom of the device."

"So it's just that bit up there we need?"

Felix pointed to the focus.

"Apparently so."

Oobleck flicked the 'Door' switch, the airlock opening slowly. Felix went inside as soon as the gap was large enough. He held his arm up, his left katar pulling him up to the focus.

"It looks modular. Should be pretty easy to remove. Looks like the capacitor's on there too."

A large cable ran into the back of the device, a warning label strapped around it. Grinning, Felix pulled it out, the electricity not harming him due to him not being grounded. He then looked to the fixings.

"I need a wrench, I'd say about an inch of jaw space."

The tech opened his bag, pulling out an adjustable wrench.

"You coming down for this?"

Instead of an answer, Glynda took it off him and levitated it upwards with a glyph. She sent a larger glyph up next for Felix to stand on. He placed the jaws around the bolt and tightened them, before straining against it to loosen the bolt. It came loose, and Felix rotated it until it came free, allowing it to fall onto the glyph.

"Seven more to go. Glynda, be ready to catch this."

Working quickly, the seven bolts joined the first and the focus fell, only to be slowed by a glyph from Glynda. This left Felix to fall in a shower of bolts, covering his head to protect it from the falling metal. The group left the chamber, carefully laying the focus down before closing the door. Then, a tremor shook the building, a muffled explosion resonating from the top floor. The tech's Scroll pinged, and he visibly paled.

"Nova's here."

Felix and Oobleck lifted Warp Star while Glynda led the way out. Another explosion shook the building, then another. Red lights were flashing all over the building.

"You won't be able to use the elevators. You'll have to take the stairs."

The tech hurriedly opened the door, Glynda stepping in front of him and leading the way downstairs. Oobleck and Felix followed, taking care not to let the focus hit anything. They stopped every time the building shook, watching as rubble fell outside the windows, the remains of the floors above. Then, a blur crossed the glass, heading down towards the ground. Gunfire erupted below, followed by silence. The structure creaked ominously, before the shaking intensified.

"She's attacking the floors below! The building will collapse before long!"

Oobleck quickly contacted their pilot, the Bullhead appearing outside the building.

"Glynda, the window!"

She shattered it, before taking Warp Star up on a glyph and guiding it into the hold.

"Take it to Beacon!"

The doors closed, the craft banking away, and the Hunters overtook the tech, vaulting the handrail. They fell the remaining floors, Glynda using a glyph to slow their fall. Felix kicked the stairwell door open, blocking the fireball that was immediately thrown in his direction. The lobby was a mess; constructor robots and security androids lay in pieces, and one corner of the room had been blown apart. The two adjacent corners were glowing with heat, and Nova was stood heating the final corner.

"So, the mortals took that wretched machine. A shame, I would have enjoyed throwing you into it."

The Transcendent stepped out of the way of a glyph, taking care not to let herself get trapped. She carried on heating the wall.

"I wouldn't stand there if I were you. Things are about to get... Unstable."

The building creaked, the heated walls sagging under the weight of the building above.

"I wish I could stay and torture you, but alas, I am needed elsewhere. I think Vulkoss should be reaching your little city soon."

Gathering her energy, she blew out the corner, flying out of the hole as the building above collapsed, thousands of tons of concrete and steel falling on top of the Hunters inside. Felix fired a chain blade, the line going taut as the walls bent inwards. The mechanism retracted, hauling him, Glynda and Oobleck out of the building. Felix felt his foot glance the still-molten edge of the hole. They watched as Nova flew away, out of reach.

"Damn it."

"Felix! We have to move!"

Oobleck had already moved, waving at Glynda and Felix to follow him. He propped himself against her, trying not to put weight on his injured foot. The first floor hit the ground, and the entire building pitched towards them in an unstoppable avalanche. They were so close, almost out of the way of its descent, but Glynda threw Felix out of range, lifting her arms high and projecting a sphere of energy. Felix watched her prepare for the shock, and had managed to fire his blade before the bubble formed. The energy sheared clean through the chain, before the force of the building drove her into the ground.

"No!"

Felix was up in an instant, limping towards the wreck pulling any loose chunk of concrete away from where he saw Glynda last. He frowned when he saw light, and was almost decapitated when a potent blast of energy threw the rubble upwards. A hand grasped at the edge of the building, and another. Glynda Goodwitch pulled herself from the shattered building. Her nose was bleeding, and she was shaking heavily. She allowed herself to be carried by Felix. Moments later, their Bullhead swept in, kicking up a cloud of dust. Felix leapt inside, sitting Glynda against the wall while Oobleck closed the door again, checking Warp Star. Without taking his eyes off it, he called to the pilot.

"Get us to Vale as fast as possible. Vulkoss may already be there."

-Beacon-

Ruby was sat in a history class, bored out of her mind as a substitute teacher recited passages from "Grimm Incursions of the Past Five Decades". Sat next to her was Blake, who looked similarly bored. She kept glancing at the clock in front of her, watching the minutes pass by agonisingly slowly, while also taking notes; her multitasking ability never failed to impress Ruby.

Blake looked up suddenly as the sirens started blaring. The substitute stopped talking, similarly shocked, until she jogged up to the doors and opened them.

"Everyone out! You know where to go."

The students quickly bagged their belongings before making their way out of the room, making their way to their dorms to change into their combat gear. Less than ten minutes later, all students were gathered at the landing pads, shivering in the shadows cast by the now much-larger ash cloud hovering over the city. A bestial roar shook the air, signalling Vulkoss' approach to the city. Ozpin stood before the gathered Hunters.

"Remember what I told you: do not engage Vulkoss directly. Do what you can to protect the civilians."

He gestured to his left.

"Anyone proficient in using Dust to create water and freezing temperatures, please take to Bullheads in that direction. You are the Coolers."

He gestured to his right.

"Anyone capable of generating wind, the Bullheads in that direction. You are the Gusters. Those of you who use glyphs and weapons of a high enough calibre are to take the craft behind me and stop any volcanic bombs. You are the Busters. The rest of you, distribute yourselves about the city. Go in groups of at least two. Assist and protect the population. You are the Safeguards. Remember, there is no Atlas to help this time- it's on us."

Many of the Hunters shouted in agreement before sorting themselves to the assigned Bullheads. Weiss caught Yang's eye.

"Come on, you brute. We're going Busters."

The pair rushed away, leaving Blake and Ruby.

"Safeguards, huh? Well, looks like we're going to the city."

One by one, the fleet took off, each craft filled to capacity with battle-ready Hunters-in-training. Many of the Busters set themselves up on the eastern wall, grim determination etched into their faces as Vulkoss came to a halt a short distance away from the walls. The Safeguards immediately set to work, leaping out of their aircraft and ordering the population away from the walls and to the west of the city. Atop the walls, the first shots were fired as Vulkoss spat boulders over the wall- none made it to the ground, either shot apart by large bullets or blocked by barrier circles. Below them, the Safeguards were ensuring that no-one was hiding in any of the buildings near the wall. Slowly but surely, the eastern district of Vale was emptied of civilians.

The Busters leapt from the wall as Vulkoss charged, each footstep shaking the ground. Seconds later, its head hammered into the wall, debris flying into the city. The Busters quickly recovered, heavy bullets and glyphs filling the air as the debris rained down. Lesser Grimm charged into the city, filtering through between its massive legs. The Safeguards set to work, gunning down the Grimm as they came. While only Beowolves and minor Ursai came through at first, Deathstalkers and major Ursai hung back near the treeline, waiting.

Vulkoss placed a foot inside the walls, crushing buildings and sending clouds if dust spiralling outwards. The nearby Gusters manipulated the air currents, funnelling the dust into larger dust devils and sending them out of the walls. The more experienced fourth-years were operating on a much larger scale, containing the spreading ash plume in a tornado above Vulkoss, sunlight reaching the city below. The Ancient Grimm realised what the Busters had been doing, and changed tact- it vomited lava into the streets, spurring the Coolers into action. The air was driven down onto the lava, the moisture in it cooled rapidly. Steam billowed from each flow, only to be cooled and redirected back onto the molten rock again. Slabs of obsidian formed atop the tarmac. Growling in displeasure, Vulkoss lay down, its massive bulk flattening the grassland just outside the wall, as well as a portion of the forest. Its bulk sealed the breach, the Grimm trapped inside swiftly eliminated. And then, nothing. Vulkoss sat, staring into Vale with burning eyes while the Hunters reconsolidated. The Gusters relented, as Vulkoss had stopped emitting ash and gas for the time being. No-one moved. All stood, poised, waiting for the next move. Then Vulkoss erupted, the top of the now considerably-smaller mountain exploding outwards in an inferno, pyroclastic flows sweeping down the mountainside and ash billowing from the crater. The Coolers and Gusters were straight back to work, redirecting the ash and attempting to slow the avalanche. Dust flew through the air, powerful explosions forcing the flows outward, around the base of the walls instead of the city. It was working, the damage minimised.

Pale fire descended from the ash plume, catching a group of Gusters on the ground off-guard; Weiss, who was close enough, threw a barrier glyph in front of the fireball, stopping it from killing the Gusters. As the flames faded, Nova herself shot out of the plume, careening for Weiss. She panicked, making the wrong gesture to create a glyph, the spell failing and leaving her defenceless. As the abomination approached, arms outstretched and teeth bared, a lance of shadows hammered into Nova's side, the force of impact knocking her off-course and into the ground. Weiss turned, gasping when she saw Tsul stood there, a single tiger raised him her direction. She mouthed a quick thank-you to him before she turned to Nova, quickly making the gestures for a barrier. She repeated it, building a cube of force around Nova. The Transcendent stood, inspecting her prison.

"Admirable. These glyphs are of a high quality. However..." A fist wreathed in flame shattered the circles like glass. "You cannot contain me."

An equally fiery fist connected with Nova's jaw, staggering her. Yang stepped in to follow up, only to be thrown by Nova. The Transcendent stepped back out of the way of a lethal swing from Crescent Rose, Ruby slowing to a halt by digging the huge blade into the ground. Blake landed behind her. Tsul approached, and Kisaragi appeared beside him, weapon in hand.

"What is this, a gathering of the freaks?"

A Bullhead flew overhead, and Nova attempted to follow it, flexing her wings and taking off. A dark shackle closed around her foot, dragging her down to the ground before she could react.

"You want to fight, mortal? Fine."

She slammed her fist into the ground, a ring of flames forcing all but Tsul away from her. The pair circled each other, Tsul tapping his fingers together rhythmically.

"You destroyed Mistral."

"Correct."

"My people will have their vengeance."

"Your people are dead."

With a cry of anguish, Tsul made the first move, attacking as Nova's haunting laugh echoed through the ash-filled sky.

"Drop us near the substation."

The Bullhead drew to a halt, the doors opening. Glynda dragged herself to the door, throwing a glyph out to break their fall. Then, she pitched herself over the side, safely caught by her glyph. Felix and Oobleck followed her, carrying Warp Star. The witch blasted open the gates and door, slowly walking inside. Around her were many conduits and cables, terminals, ports and plugs.

"What's the connection like for that capacitor?"

Oobleck looked at the socket.

"About thirty millimetres diameter, three round pins inside, triangular pattern."

Digging through the masses of cables, she soon found one that looked similar. She unrolled it, jamming it into the port.

Too big.

She growled, throwing the cable away before rummaging around again. She heard the walls o the city explode. As she brought out another cable, she shaw that Vulkoss had head-butted the wall. She tried the next plug, and smiled when it fit.

"Did it say what voltage is needed?"

Oobleck ran a finger on the capacitor's casing, his eyes scanning the text there.

"230, standard supply!"

Glynda flipped a switch, killing the power to Beacon and redirecting it into Warp Star. In the distance, Vulkoss took a single step into the city, and another. She looked to Warp Star, several red lights on the focus glaring at her.

"Come on... Come on..."


	19. The Realm of Nightmares

**Since this is the last chapter, I can only answer any reviews via PM. Enjoy.**

"That's it, it's charging."

"Any idea how long it will take?"

"No."

A screech from above heralded the arrival of several Nevermores, the avian Grimm diving with claws extended. Glynda dodged one, countering with a concussive blast. She watched as it fell, sliding to a halt on the concrete with a shattered wing. With a jerk of her hand, several feathers dislodged themselves from the creature, hovering around its neck before she closed her fist, the razor-sharp quills ripping into its neck and severing its windpipe. It gasped desperately for a few seconds before falling limp, lifeless. Glynda aimed the feathers skyward, launching them at the remaining Nevermores, killing two more. The fourth met its end by fire, Oobleck launching a salvo at it and cooking alive. Its smouldering corpse hit the ground before disintegrating. More Nevermores circled overhead, a rain of feathers riddling the concrete with cracks. Glynda threw a quick glyph over Warp Star, protecting it from the spears. Felix took off, using his Noli Turris to grapple from Nevermore to Nevermore, severing the spine of each bird before moving onto the next. Several fireballs took out a few before Felix got to them. The flock was soon dispersed, and Felix fell, Glynda slowing his fall.

"How long?"

Glynda looked at the focus. Of the four red lights on it, one of them had turned green.

"I don't know. We're a quarter charged."

Felix looked at Vulkoss, a grim expression on his face.

"I hope that thing charges faster, because it's headed our way."

"Is that the best you can do, mortal?"

Nova effortlessly weaved through a volley of dark spears, standing and punching Tsul in the gut. She grinned as he doubled over, the breath forced out of him.

"If you keep this up much longer, you'll knock yourself out. That's no fun."

He slammed his open palm into her, preparing to release a pulse of energy, but she moved. So far, she had dodged all of his attacks, and he was getting tired. Nova looked like she was enjoying herself giggling and laughing in a grotesque manner. She threw him again, watching as he shakily pushed himself to his feet. She slowly walked towards him, bending down and lifting him by the neck.

"Any final words, mortal?"

He placed his hands on her arm and forced his shadows into her. She gasped, releasing her grip and recoiling, her flesh becoming Iridescent Dust where Tsul had touched her.

"What did you do?"

She surged forward, delivering a sharp backhand to Tsul's face.

_"What did you do?!"_

The ring of flames dissipated, and she rose into the air.

"Vulkoss! Destroy the academy!"

The Ancient Grimm rose up, slowly beginning to cross the city. She turned on Tsul again, inspecting her arm. While it had stopped decaying, there were several dips in her flesh where the skin had become Dust.

"You filthy mortal!"

She descended towards Tsul, palms outstretched with the intent to kill, when Kisaragi went from five feet away to behind her in the blink of an eye, delivering five cuts to her back and wings before she turned, grabbed his weapon hand and crushed the bones in it. He grunted in pain, and Nova wrenched the Chakram out of his grip, tearing the Ultima Drive from its slot. Her face contorted with anger as she inspected it.

"This... This is heresy! Desecration!"

She threw the Disc aside and turned on Kisaragi, savagely beating him, feeling bones snap beneath each strike. She threw him aside.

"You will suffer for this. All of you!"

She turned on Team RWBY, aiming a punch at Blake. The girl tensed up, readying the Gambol Shroud. She was too slow, and Nova's fist connected with her face. Or so she thought. Her hand passed straight through the decoy, and Blake appeared behind Nova, aiming two slashes at the existing cuts in the Transcendent's back. Next, Ruby charged, simply trying to cause damage. She brought Crescent Rose over her head, aiming to split Nova in half. She just took off and clapped her hands around the blade, the electricity not affecting her. This left her open to attack from Yang, who grabbed Nova's leg, completing the circuit and electrocuting both of them. Nova's wings seized up, every muscle in her body twitching as she fell away from Ruby's electrified blade. Yang recovered quickly, the jolt serving to fuel her anger, her hair beginning to glow as she absorbed more energy. Nova felt the increased forced of the brawler's punches, staggering with each hit. She howled, launched herself backward and unleashed a stream of flames from her hand, aiming to cook Yang alive. A barrier circle stopped them, absorbing the fire. Nova cut off the stream, and narrowed her eyes in anger when Yang took the circle in one hand, her hair bursting into flame as she absorbed the energy within. Nova took flight, circling around and lifting Weiss by the neck, watching her squirm in her grip. She lapsed into unconsciousness, and Nova pressed harder, seeking to end her life, but a force like a freight train hammered into her side, forcing her to drop the girl. Yang was almost unrecognisable, simply a blaze of fire and fury. A rain of punches landed on Nova, the ground cracking beneath the force. Wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck, and using her legs to pin her arms to her body. Nova squeezed, ignoring the dangerous heat radiating from the girl's body. She soon felt the heat begin to dissipate as the girl fell unconscious, starved of oxygen. She turned to the remaining two Huntresses in training, Blake and Ruby. The pair had been staying back, keeping themselves safe from Yang's rage. Blake advanced, taking on Nova one-on-one. Blake made the first move, feinting low before attack Nova's neck, forcing the point of the Gambol Shroud into the flesh there. Nova froze, a surprised expression on her face, before she grinned.

"Surely you must have realised by now that I have no need for air or blood."

She forced herself down the blade, the tip emerging to the side of her spine. Blake tried to pull it out, but Nova took hold of her wrist and squeezed. Blake let go of the blade and pulled her hand away before the bones were crushed, leaving her to defend herself with her cleaver. Ruby opened fire from afar, and Nova pulled the blade from her neck to block the bullets with. The rifle clicked empty.

"Well, isn't this utterly cathartic. I get to kill to mortals who oppose me with their own weapon."

She surged forward, bringing the blade to bear before Ruby could pull Crescent Rose from the ground. Keeping one arm on the scythe, she raised the other to block the attack and gasped when she felt the blade in her side. She fell, her weight pulling Crescent Rose free. She landed next to Tsul, screaming as Nova twisted the blade, rooting it in place.

"Ruby!"

Ruby watched weakly as Blake attacked, swinging with no target, just the intent to cause pain. She left a shadow, moving behind Nova to attack her wings. She swung and swung and swung, the notch in one of the wings growing with each cut. She blinked again, delivering a final cut, watching with grim satisfaction as the appendage fell away. Nova howled in anguish, watching the wing dissolve. Nova fell to one knee, a jet of flame bursting from the stump where the wing had been.

"This... This is impossible!"

She forced herself to her feet, swaying slightly.

"I will not be beaten down by a mere girl, a mortal!"

Flames enveloped her, and she raised her arms. A pillar of flame erupted around Blake, slowly sapping what remained of her Aura away. Through the torrent, she watched as Ruby placed a single shell into her weapon, the blade covered in a strange sheen. She leaned forward, placing a single foot on the blade.

"You will burn! Burn! _Burn to ashes_!"

As Blake felt as if her Aura was about to give out, an ear-splitting cry filled the air, and the pillar of flame immediately cut off.

"What?"

Oobleck unleashed a salvo of fireballs, the flames glancing off of Vulkoss' armoured head to no effect. The Ancient Grimm was slowly but surely approaching, and the Warp Star focus was stubbornly uncharged. The ground shook more violently with each step it took. Yet it did not attack from a distance; Felix realised it was toying with them, demonstrating how helpless they were as it approached. It soon reached the foot of the cliff, its massive head resting on the concrete a short distance away. It exhaled the heated air washing over them. It shook slightly, a steady, pulsing grinding sound emanating from its throat.

"It's... Laughing at us."

Oobleck turned to the focus. Three lights.

"Come on..."

He dashed towards the creature, jamming his thermos against its jaw, battering the rock with several explosions. It lifted its head, attempting to crush the professor beneath its weight. He quickly dashed backwards, avoiding the mass of rock.

"I can't do anything. It's too big."

Vulkoss opened its maw, and Glynda prepared a glyph as the hellfire inside intensified. An arm wrapped in green forced here down, and she turned in confusion. Ozpin stepped forth, and he tapped his cane on the ground once. A wave of force blasted the loose rock away from Vulkoss, pushing the beast back. It reared back, roaring, leaning forward and vomiting lava onto the concrete. Ozpin swung again, the force catching the lava in mid-air and knocking it away. Ozpin walked forward unflinchingly, thrusting with is cane and firmly planting the end on Vulkoss' jaw. The rock resonated sharply, and its lower jaw collapsed, spilling across the concrete in a shower of rubble. It roared in pain and anger, and Ozpin retreated to the focus. As he stood behind it, Vulkoss attempted to crush them with the remains of its head. Before its head could make contact, the final light turned green, the focus glowing for a second before firing. A blinding beam of light erupted forth, creating a large furrow in the ground and tearing into Vulkoss' body.

Above Nova, towards Beacon, a blinding cone of light had enveloped Vulkoss. The light cut off, and Nova gasped when she saw that where the light had been, its body was gone. The magma chamber was exposed, the remaining half of Vulkoss' heart falling out and dissolving. The rest of the mountain began to collapse, dissolving into black mist. It shook the ground as it landed, a dark fog clouding the town. In her moment of distraction, Nova did not see Ruby stand, pulling the trigger of Crescent Rose. The gunshot echoed around the city, and Nova managed a half-turn before the blade passed through her middle. She spun, seeing the Ultima Drive she had thrown away had been replaced by a blue one. She looked at Ruby, who had fallen over again, the Gambol Shroud still straight through her. Blake was by her side, the younger girl's head resting on the Faunus' lap.

"You... I..."

Nova came apart, her torso falling to the ground, the flames within extinguished. She let out a long, final moan, her body dissolving and becoming Dust, carried away by the wind. A large crystal lay in the pile. Slowly lowering Ruby to the ground, Blake approached the crystal, reaching out to it. Closing her hand around it, she felt the spite and hatred within. She realised, a pit growing in her stomach, that Nova lived on, inside the crystal. Sighing to herself, she sat down again, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. She forced herself to become one with the crystal, seeking entry to the crystal heart. She felt the crystal spreading over her, but she allowed it to. Her mind slipped away, drifting into the crystal with Nova's. Ruby watched, her eyes slowly sliding shut, as Blake turned to crystal, suspended in time. The remaining Dust blew away in the downdraft of the approaching Bullhead.

-Nova's Heart-

"You have a lot of nerve, following me in here."

"I can't let you live."

"I am not alive, and I haven't been for centuries."

"That does not put you above destruction."

Blake was stood atop a plateau of crystal, the shimmering gems glistening with unseen light. Before her stood Nova, looking less organic than she was before. She was entirely encased in crystalline armour.

"Foolish girl. If you could destroy me, you would need something much more substantial than that toothpick of yours."

She pointed to the Gambol Shroud. Blake hadn't even realised she had drawn it. Heedless, she charged, using both her sword and cleaver to attack the armour. Each attack just slid off it, barely leaving a mark. A rocky fist drove her back across the arena, wincing at the force of it.

"Girl, you cannot beat me here."

"Shut up."

Blake charged again, leaving decoys where Nova struck, while leaping over the blades of crystal that erupted from the ground. Blake combined her strikes with shots from her pistol, small fragments of crystal falling to the ground with each hit.

Then, moving with a speed that Blake didn't anticipate, Nova surged forward and Blake was forced into the defensive, relying on her Semblance to avoid Nova's furious attacks. The ground splintered under each blow, filling the previously flat plateau with potholes and cracks. Nova's armour was falling away, making her much faster. Blake managed to get a few cuts in before Nova jumped into the air, hovering in place.

"You will never leave this place!"

Nova slammed into the ground, and walls erupted from the crystal, blocking Blake's view of the Transcendent. The Faunus looked around herself.

_A maze. Great._

She couldn't climb what looked like five metres of flat crystal, so she started walking, searching for any available exit. She could hear Nova goading her, taunting her while remaining unseen.

"You chose to chase me into my heart. That was a bold move. But foolish."

Blake ignored her, electing to keep walking instead of listening to Nova's words.

"You can never escape. This maze has no exit. I will enjoy watching your mind become lost in these corridors."

Blake tried to use the voice to find her way, but the sound was echoing across the walls, preventing her from locating her captor.

"I can see it happening already. So much anger, confusion, disorientation... All working to twist your mind into a warped semblance of what it was."

Blake growled as the maze bent around her, the walls shifting in place, rotating.

"This place is always in flux. You can never escape."

The walls shifted behind her, and she whirled around, seeing nothing there. When she turned around again, she was in a different corridor, the maze having changed in her moment of inattention.

"Even trying to comprehend this place will twist you. If I were you, I wouldn't at the walls too closely.

After hearing that, Blake had to make a physical effort to keep herself from inspecting the walls, resolutely keeping her eyes set straight ahead. She didn't want to see, but she was, quite literally, the cat that curiosity killed, and she found her vision drifting up the walls, and her legs driving her closer to them. She didn't know for how long she was staring into the crystal, but she remembered the moment she realised what was inside. There were faces staring back at her, the faces of the dead. She remembered crawling away from it, recoiling when she felt her back hit the opposite wall. She closed her eyes, taking deep, steadying breaths. She heard Nova laughing at her, the sound echoing all around.

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

She punched forward, her fist connecting with something in the air, and the laughter cut off suddenly. The walls fell away, Nova reappearing in front of her, her hand wrapped around someone's neck. She was covering their face with the other. Blake levelled her blades at her, and Nova tightened her grip slightly.

"So... We're at an impasse. I don't think you want me to kill this person.

She moved her hand away, Ruby staring at Blake with pleading eyes. Blake dropped out of her stance, paling. There was a bruise growing around Ruby's left eye, in the shape of Blake's fist. Blake sobbed when she realised that it wasn't Nova she had hit.

"What are you... How did you get here?"

Between sobs, Blake made out a sentence.

"I t-touched you, the crystal..."

Nova laughed, tapping her foot on the ground, summoning chains that suspended both Blake and Ruby in the air.

"She's just as much a prisoner here now as you are, Blake. I wonder how much torture it would take to break you."

Nova took a shard of crystal, placing the point against Ruby's Achilles Tendon and dragging it around her heel and across the base of her foot. The gem was quickly stained with red, and Ruby openly cried. Blake screamed in anger, straining at the chains. Nova cut into the other foot, her eyes closing in bliss as both Ruby and Blake screamed, one in agony and the other in fury. She heard Blake muttering to herself.

"It can't be real, it can't be real..."

"Oh, but it is. These screams cannot be faked."

She placed the crystal on the back of Ruby's shin, cutting into the flesh there.

"You monster! I'll kill you!"

"Will you?"

She cut the back of Ruby's other leg open, adding to the puddle of blood on the plateau.

"Listen to her screams. What would you do to save her?"

"It's not real... It's not..."

Nova cut into Ruby's sides.

"It can't be..."

"Listen! You can save her, right now. All you have to do..."

"I'm not listening, it's not real... Not listening, not real..."

"Is take the pain yourself!"

Nova's voice rose in pitch, and Blake shouted in return.

"It's not real, not real, _not real_!"

She stopped, breathless, leaning on her knees. The shackles were no longer there. Neither was Ruby, nor was there a pool of blood. Nova stood there instead, a disappointed expression on her face.

"Blake Belladonna, you said that you loved that girl."

On the ground, Blake knelt, sobbing.

"If you truly had, you would have died for her. Instead, you shut her out. Heartless creature."

"I... It wasn't real..."

"And if it was, what would you have done? You can't do anything. You're a failure. You failed to protest peacefully, failed as a student, failed as a lover. What else can you do, other than fail?"

Blake's eyes narrowed. She pushed herself to her feet, taking her sword in a two-handed grip.

"I am not a failure. Sure, the White Fang may be misguided, but I have far from failed as a student, and I bet that Ruby is waiting for me to wake up."

"Your dear Ruby Rose has most likely bled to death by now."

"I don't believe that."

"Whether you choose to believe or not is beyond the point."

Nova raised her arms.

"Ruby is dead, and soon, your mind will be."

"You're the failure."

"Excuse me?" She approached Blake slowly, stooped over, her fingers tensed like claws. "I stand over you, and you call me a failure?"

"That's the point. You stand over me, no one else."

"I levelled a city."

"You wanted to level the planet, and you failed."

Blake pointed the tip of the Gambol Shroud to Nova's neck.

"Do you want to know where I've seen this, the mazes, the faces, the torture? In a nightmare. A nightmare that I woke from. This is no different." Nova looked nervous now, slowly backing away as Blake advanced. "This is a nightmare. I've seen through your illusion, and I won't let you keep me asleep any longer!"

The Gambol Shroud burst into flame, and Blake charged, burying the metal hilt-deep through Nova's neck. She screamed the best she could, a horrible wheezing sound, as what life she had left her. The crystal began to fracture, peeling apart and dissolving as the nightmare faded. The world brightened, forcing Blake to close her eyes, the sound of crystal shattering filling her ears. And then, silence.

When Blake came to, she did so to the sound of rhythmic beeping. She groaned, sitting up slowly and looking around.

"Good to see that you're finally awake."

Blake turned to the door. Weiss and Yang were stood there, and the Faunus could see the bruising on their necks. Other than that, they looked fine.

"Ugh, what happened when I was out?"

"From what my Ruby told me, you touched some crystal in Nova's remains and passed out."

"How long have I been out?"

"About a day."

Blake lay down again, rubbing her head. She sat up again suddenly, her eyes wide open.

"Where's Ruby?"

Weiss and Yang shared a nervous glance. Blake saw this, and rolled out of bed, taking hold of the drip stand.

"Where?"

The pair turned around, motioning for Blake to follow. They led her to the intensive care unit, pointing to one of the rooms. Blake took a steadying breath before turning the handle and pushing the door open. She sobbed when she saw Ruby.

She was laying on a bed, an oxygen mask strapped to her face. The several cuts and bruises she had acquired during Vulkoss' attack had been patched up. Lifting the sheets for a second, Blake sighed with relief when she saw that Ruby's feet and legs were not cut. Moving to her side, Blake lifted the sheets again, and cried when she saw the stitching that had closed large hole straight through her side.

"May I help you?"

Blake turned to the nurse who had entered the room.

"Will she be okay?"

"We managed to stop the bleeding, as well as stitch up her intestines. But... She just hasn't woken up yet."

"But she will wake up?"

"We certainly hope so."

"Good... That's good..."

Blake sat down next to the bed, running her hand through Ruby's hair. The nurse left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I don't... Know if you can hear me... But thank you. You stopped her from taking me, you didn't give up. You even killed her." Blake sobbed. "This is my fault. I should have been able to stop her, but I couldn't. I was too weak..." She looked away. "And she hurt you. She hurt you, and I could have prevented it. And I'm sorry."

Blake bowed her head, her tears dripping onto the floor. She almost had a heart attack when a finger ran up the inside of her ear, causing it to twitch involuntarily. She shot up, looking at Ruby, who looked back with half-open eyes.

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

Blake embraced the younger girl.

"I'm fine, worry about yourself!"

Blake pulled on the orange panic cord, and a nurse was in the room in seconds. Ruby waved at him. Blake was ushered out of the room by several more nurses. Minutes later, the nurses left, allowing Blake back into the room. She immediately sat down with Ruby, hugging her tightly.

"I was so worried about you..."

"I'll be fine, the nurses said so. You know... While I was sleeping, I was dreaming."

"What did you see?"

"An angel."

Blake tensed up, and Ruby giggled.

"Not that one. This angel wears black, has no wings, and... Has adorable kitty ears."

"You are such a hopeless romantic."

The couple laughed, sincerely for the first time in weeks, the sound of joy, victory, and the feeling that their trials were over.

In his office overlooking the academy, Ozpin sat behind his desk. He had a _lot_ of work to do. Despite their best efforts, Vulkoss had trampled large numbers of buildings during its attack, and firing Warp Star had torn a deep furrow into the concrete outside the substation. Ozpin now had to sort out what to do next. He would have more time to do so, if the council had refrained from contacting him so repetitively.

"Ozpin. Your position at Beacon is objectionable. We believe that you did not react quickly enough to neutralise this threat, or keep the subject under enough security to prevent sabotage."

"Councillor, I am trying to coordinate the recovery of half a city. Mistral was completely destroyed, and that won't fix itself either. Tell me- what would you have done?"

"That is beside the point, Ozpin."

"Wrong. It is the point. The point is that nothing else could have been done. I feel that I did all I could, as soon as I could."

"That is an opinion that only you hold."

"Take my opinion or leave it, I'm done talking. I have a city to repair."

Ozpin cut the signal, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Glynda."

"Professor?"

"Fetch me the Valic construction companies. We need some coordination."

Outside the western walls, Felix took a deep breath. He had a long trip ahead of him. Alongside his backpack loaded with food and water, the tube containing Vulkoss' legend hung from his shoulder. While he could have requisitioned a Bullhead to take him to Vacuo, they were occupied in the repair efforts. Besides, it felt more respectful to him to return an ancient artefact using ancient modes of transport- his own two feet. Taking one last look at the walls of Vale, Felix placed his mirrored glasses on his face and pulled up his hood, making his Faunus traits. Placing one foot in front of the other, he began his journey, the wind carrying with it the heat of the desert.

**And there you have it, The Heartless Angel. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. Looking back, I could have done this better, but it's no matter. At least some of you liked it, and that's enough for me. See you in the next story.**

**Aura, out.**


End file.
